I am proud to say that I have all my own teeth at the age of 65. While that may not sound unusual to some people, everyone in my family who is my age or older wears dentures. I always tell people that that flossing is the key to good dental health. I have arthritis in my hands, but I don't let it keep me from flossing every day. My trick is to use those little "flossers" you can buy at the drug store. They have plastic handles floss stretched out on top of the handle. These make flossing easier on days when my arthritis is acting up. I started this blog to let other people know that they can keep their teeth healthy into old age when they take care of them. If you have hand pain, find ways to make flossing easier, like I did.
Don't Let Hand Pain Keep You from Flossing
Kids And Dental Care Anxiety: Sedation Options For Your Child
Francis Miles
When it comes to dental care and services, many parents have negative experiences that can make them hesitant to bring their child in for care. Dental care can be stressful and frightening for children, not to mention painful in some cases, depending on the services that are needed. Whether you're just resistant because of your own past experiences or you have a child with special needs, it's important that you understand your sedation dentistry options to help ensure that your child gets the care that they need to have healthy teeth. Here's a look at what you need to know.
Nitrous Oxide
When most people think of sedation dentistry, they think of nitrous oxide. Often referred to as laughing gas, nitrous oxide can make your child's dental care experience a much less stressful and more positive one.
For those who have never had nitrous oxide treatments, you may wonder how it works. It's a safe, effective means of conscious sedation that simply relaxes your child and gives them some general pain relief as well as a sense of calm, comfortable euphoria. Your child remains fully conscious so they can respond to instructions from the dentist, but they won't experience the anxiety, fear, and discomfort that can sometimes come with dental care appointments.
Nitrous oxide is administered as a gas and is usually mixed with oxygen in a mask. Your child will breathe it in and feel the effects pretty quickly. The sedation will be maintained throughout the appointment, and then once the appointment is over, the dentist will provide your child with pure oxygen. This negates the effect of nitrous oxide, and your child will recover from it within minutes.
Oral Sedatives
In some situations, dentists may recommend that a child be given an oral sedative before their dental appointment. In most cases, oral sedation is done with a mild sedative in a moderate dose so that your child remains mostly awake and alert enough to follow instructions. You may find that your child dozes off during their dental care appointment, though.
Oral sedation isn't the go-to option for most dentists because it comes with more risks and side effects than nitrous oxide. In fact, there are some dentists who don't offer this type of treatment at all. However, there are some situations where oral sedation becomes a necessary treatment option. If your child is undergoing a longer procedure or one that may be more uncomfortable than routine dental treatment, oral sedation might be a good way to make the process less stressful.
General Sedation
Few people readily connect dental care with general anesthesia, but the truth is that general sedation can be highly beneficial for children in some situations. In fact, with surgical extractions such as wisdom tooth removal, general sedation is typically the preferred choice.
General anesthesia is usually reserved for procedures that will be lengthy or complicated. It does come with more risk factors than other types of sedation, but you can take comfort knowing that dentists work with anesthesiologists to administer and monitor general anesthesia when it's necessary for dental work.
It may take your child some time to come out of general sedation, so be prepared to wait for them to return to consciousness.
These are a few of the options available for helping your child with the stress, anxiety, and discomfort of dental care appointments. Talk with your local dentist about the sedation options that they offer for kids. They can help you find the best solution for your child's upcoming appointment so that you set the stage for positive dental care experiences. Keep these tips in mind when looking for dentists near you.
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