What is Conscious Sedation?
Conscious sedation is a technique to guide a child's behavior during dental treatment. Certain medications are used to help increase cooperation and to reduce anxiety or discomfort associated with dental procedures. Sedative medications cause most children to become relaxed and drowsy. Unlike general anesthesia, conscious sedation is not intended to make a patient unconscious or unresponsive.
Who Should be Sedated?
Children who have a level of anxiety that prevents good coping skills, or are very young and do not understand how to cope in a cooperative manner for dental care, should be sedated. Conscious sedation is often helpful for some children who have special needs.
Dr. Bryson's Instructions for Oral Sedation
Your child will be given sedation medications by mouth. Ater your child is administered the sedative, they may become drowsy within 30-40 minutes. Sedatives also relax the muscles; therefore, your child may be uncoordinated and need assistance in walking.
We recommend that at least two adults come to the appointment, so that on the drive home one can sit with and monitor the child.
A few young children who have been given the sedative are wrapped in a protective stabilizer for their protection. The protective stabilizer will help them feel more secure and they will relax more easily. Sedatives combined with nitrous oxide/oxygen is a safe way to relax most children.
Oral sedative medications are not always predictable. Some children will still not cooperate after receiving sedatives and may require a hospital visit with general anesthesia for their dental treatment. Our goal is to give your child the best care and attention. A calm child allows us to do this. Please note, if treatment is not possible during a sedation appointment, the $250 sedation fee is still charged and is non-refundable.
We have a sophisticated monitoring device called a Pulse Oximeter. It measures the amount of oxygen in the blood. It is attached to the child's big toe or finger with adhesive tape. Please do not dress your child in tights, as the monitor must be attached to the skin. Also, please make sure that your child has no fingernail or toenail polish, or hair ponytails.
A deposit of $250 is required to schedule this appointment. This deposit will be applied toward the cost of the procedure performed. The $250 deposit will be forfeited if the appointment is failed or canceled without two business days' notice prior to the scheduled time.
In accordance with our policy, no parents/guardians will be allowed in the operatory during conscious sedation appointments. This policy will enable the doctor and staff to better focus their attention on your child, so that their treatment can be performed in the safest and most efficient environment. We hope that this policy will give you the comfort of knowing your child is receiving optimum care.
