How to Know If IV Sedation Is Viable for Your Child?

Ensuring that your child is safe and healthy is a vital part of being a parent. Making sure that your child is healthy will include scheduling trips to the dentist. Most children have extreme dental fears and anxiety. Unfortunately, this can make it difficult for the dentist to perform certain procedures. Dental sedation helps children to go through dental procedures with less anxiety.

Using Dental Sedation

Sedation offers a solution for children who need various dental procedures. There are situations where kids may require complex procedures. Dental sedation helps to ensure that they get through treatment with less strain.

Sedation involves the use of medication to help the patient to relax and feel less anxious. The sedation drugs may be taken orally, breathed in, or administered via an IV line in the arm or hand. General anesthesia is used only in specific situations.

Before Using Sedation

Before any patient can receive sedation, the dentist will need to establish suitability. The patient will need to undergo a medical review and will also have their vitals checked. This ensures that dental sedation is right for the patient.

As a parent, you need to find out if sedation is right for your child. It is vital to realize that not every patient is a good candidate for sedation. There are health concerns that can disqualify a patient from particular types of sedation.

Different Sedation Methods

There are different types of sedation methods available for dental patients. The most common option is nitrous oxide. This gas is considered among the safest options. It is administered through inhalation of gas.

Oral sedation is a type of medication designed to calm the patient before and during the procedure. The medication is prescribed based on the child’s overall health, weight, and age. IV or intravenous sedation is less common for kids. The drugs are administered through a needle in the arm or hand.

Using IV Sedation Method

The IV anti-anxiety medication puts the patient in a deeper state of sedation than oral sedation. The drug is administered through a needle in the arm, and the patient remains awake. However, will be in a state of sedation.

The patient will be able to move and respond to requests during the procedure. After the treatment, the child will not be able to remember anything about the procedure. The patient’s vital signs will be monitored the entire time that the drug is being administered.

IV Sedation for Your Child

There have been safety concerns surrounding the use of IV sedation and general anesthesia in children. IV or intravenous sedation is usually stronger than other sedation methods. There are pediatric sedation guidelines to adhere to.

The guidelines help to ensure that children are safe during the procedures. Careful evaluation will need to be made to ensure that your child is a good candidate for IV sedation. The dentist will need to carefully examine your child before treatment.

Whether IV sedation is right for your child will depend on different factors. Generally, most healthy kids make good candidates. Talk to your dentist about the sedation method and find out how your child will be kept safe.

To learn more about IV sedation, visit Fort Worth Children’s Dentistry at our office in Fort Worth, Texas. You can also call 817-569-6633 to book an appointment today.