Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Conscious Sedation Methods Used by Dentists

Most kids become uneasy when they go to the dentist’s office. Can’t really blame them though with all they’ve heard from friends or seen on TV and movies. Nevertheless, dentists put up with all that anxiousness. After all, it’s their job. So what do they do to keep these kids at ease? Simple, they just do these sedation techniques to keep the kids sit long enough until the procedure is done.


In conscious sedation, the dentist may give a medicine to relax the kid. Under this method, the child remains conscious and is able to respond to the dentist. There are various ways how to do this technique. The most commonly used method to induce sedation is to give the kid a pill. Other methods involve giving medicine shots or intravenous sedatives. Also, there’s one method that leaves the kids laughing.

Colloquially known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is often used to ease the fears of nervous children. This way, they receive dental treatment in a safe and comfortable manner. Here, laughing gas is delivered through a gas mask, which the child will be asked to breathe through.

When the laughing gas doesn’t work, medicines are orally given to level the child’s anxiety. Though he may become sleepy, the child can still respond to the dentist’s commands.

If the dentist needs the child to fall asleep during a dental procedure, he may induce unconsciousness by giving general anesthesia. Here, the kid won’t feel any pain and will just sleep during the entire dental procedure.

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