Will My Child Feel Any Pain With Dental Sedation?

If you’re interested in pediatric dental sedation in Durham, you’re probably wondering what to expect. Is sedation dangerous? Will your child feel pain or discomfort? When and how can it be used to keep your child feeling safe and comfortable? In this blog from Smile First Dental, we’ll give you all the answers you need.

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Your Child Won’t Feel Any Pain Or Discomfort With Dental Sedation

First, let’s discuss pain. Or, more specifically, the lack of it! Paired with local anesthesia (numbing), sedation dentistry ensures that your child won’t feel any pain or discomfort during their appointment.

Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) helps reduce any possible sensations of pain and pressure during their treatment. It also makes it easier for kids to get numbing shots. That’s a big deal, since many kids are afraid of needles.

If your child gets general anesthesia, you also do not have to worry about pain. Your child will be completely unconscious, and will not be able to feel anything throughout their entire oral surgery or other treatment. There’s absolutely no risk of them feeling any discomfort.

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Is Pediatric Dental Sedation Only Available For Certain Procedures?

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This depends on the type of sedation you want for your child. At Smile First Dental, we can offer pediatric dental sedation with nitrous oxide (laughing gas) for just about any visit. From fillings to crowns and even routine checkups, we can keep your child feeling comfortable. That’s because nitrous oxide is low-risk, fast, and relatively affordable for kids.

This is not true of general anesthesia, though. This is a much deeper method of sedation. It carries more risks, and requires lots of special equipment, like a ventilator to ensure your child breathes properly while they're unconscious. For these reasons, general anesthesia is only recommended for serious and prolonged surgeries, where the benefits of anesthesia for your child outweigh the risks.

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How Long Does It Take For Sedation To Wear Off?

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Again, this depends on the sedation method used for your child. Laughing gas wears off in about 5 minutes. After your child’s procedure, Dr. Jenny Citineni will send pure oxygen through their nose mask to purge any remaining nitrous oxide. Their sedation will wear off right away. They may experience some minor side effects like confusion or nausea, but they can get back to their daily routine right away.

General anesthesia has much deeper effects, since it uses a stronger, more complex combination of drugs to render your child fully unconscious. Usually, your child will be watched by a team of anesthesiologists for between 1-3 hours after they're woken up. This ensures there are no serious complications.

After you and your child are sent home, it’s also common for symptoms to linger for at least 4-6 hours after treatment, or even up to 24 hours after treatment. These can include amnesia (forgetting things), nausea, problems with motor skills, vomiting, and more.

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Come To Smile First Dental To Learn More About Pediatric Dental Sedation!‍

If your child has dental anxiety, they can benefit from dental sedation in Durham. So don’t wait. Come to Smile First Dental to learn more about your options and protect your child’s oral health. Dr. Citenini is an experienced sedation dentist, and we work with a team of board-certified anesthesiologists to provide safe, expert sedation dentistry in Durham. Contact us online or give us a call at (919) 493-2569 now.

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