Dental sedation is a higher risk for patients who have sleep apnea or who are obese.
To approve your child for sedation, we will need to review their medical history. This is because sedation is not suitable for all patients. We need to know if your child has a medical condition or takes any medications.
Your pediatric dentist will inform you on how to prepare your child for IV sedation. They will need to fast for 6 hours (no food or drinks) before their appointment.
At the start of your child’s appointment, we will administer the sedative by hooking up an IV to your child’s veins. The sedative will flow through the IV and be delivered directly to the bloodstream. This can take up to 10 minutes to kick in but usually happens pretty instantly.
Once your child is fully sedated, we will proceed with the treatment. They will be completely relaxed and we will monitor their vitals the entire time.
Once we’ve completed the dental treatment, we will remove the IV. Your child may be kept for monitoring for a short period before they can go home. They will need to avoid certain activities for the next 24 hours.
This is a deep form of sedation often referred to as twilight sleep. This is the most potent form of sedation that you can receive outside of a hospital setting. While you are not unconscious, most patients do fall asleep.
However, because we can control the concentration of the sedative, your child can receive more moderate levels that may not result in sleep or deeper levels that are likely to cause them to drift off into sleep. IV sedation relaxes patients and places them in a dream-like state.
Most patients do not remember anything after the procedure because of the amnesiac effects. This sedative lingers in the body for up to 24 hours so your child will feel very drowsy and groggy after their appointment and should rest when they get home. You will need to monitor them for the rest of the day and the hangover effects can last for up to 24 hours.
Your child’s heart rate and blood pressure, and oxygen levels are monitored while they are sedated.
Your child will need to come in for a consultation with Dr. Azer to determine if your child is a good candidate for IV sedation. During this consultation, he will review their medical history and determine if any medical conditions or medication that they take will interfere with the sedative.
If your child does take certain medications but is approved for sedation, Dr. Azer will inform you if any changes need to be made such as avoiding taking certain medications on the day of sedation. You will also be informed of the level of risk of sedating your child depending on your child’s health.
Not all patients fall asleep during the procedure when they are sedated.
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