Comfort Dentistry

Dr. Katie makes every effort to ensure your child’s comfort. Your child can pick a favorite movie to watch, hold one our stuffed animal “dental friends” and keep their parent near-by for support. Our team utilizes the “Tell-Show-Do” approach with every patient to gain confidence and trust. If necessary, your child can utilize our numerous, safe sedation options. Our team has extensive training in nitrous oxide gas (inhalation sedation), oral conscious sedation, in-office general anesthesia, and outpatient hospital-based general anesthesia sedation options.

Nitrous Oxide

Take advantage of Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Sedation by itself or together with oral conscious sedation, depending upon the apprehension level of your child. If your child is only somewhat or mildly nervous about dental work, let nitrous oxide help control the anxiety. Nitrous oxide is a drug in the form of a gas delivered to your child through a mask that fits over the nose. Nitrous oxide is considered to be extremely safe because its effect only lasts as long as your child is breathing the gas. Feel safe knowing the nitrous oxide gas is given to your child with oxygen, ensuring he/she gets as much or more oxygen than from breathing just air. Beneficial effects of nitrous oxide include the following:

• reduced anxiety
• pain reduction
• altered perception of time (appointments seem short)
• visual fear reduction (nose mask blocks your child’s view of dental instruments and other things that could potentially frighten your child)

There is a small chance that your child may become nauseated by nitrous oxide, resulting in vomiting. Nitrous oxide is also known to be potentially harmful to unborn children in pregnant mothers. Therefore, if you are a pregnant mom, you should not be in the same room with your child during the use of nitrous oxide. Otherwise, nitrous oxide gas is very safe, and its advantages far outweigh its disadvantages, making it a popular tool to treat anxious pediatric dental patients.

Oral-conscious sedation

Let your anxious child benefit from Oral Conscious Sedation, a light form of sedation given in the form of a drinkable liquid in an amount measured for their weight. This sedation method is light and termed oral “conscious” sedation because your child is not induced to sleep. There are various types of oral conscious sedation medication available. Feel at ease knowing the oral conscious sedation used at Carmel Pediatric Dentistry is a safe and effective method of providing dental care if your child is fearful and would not otherwise accept dental treatment. Beneficial effects of the medication include:

• reduced anxiety
• amnesia
• anti-nausea
• anti-allergy
• muscle relaxant

Rest easy knowing your child is in the hands of experts specially trained in sedation. https://www.carmelpediatricdentistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sedation.docx

IV – General Anesthesia

If your child experiences extreme fears and anxiety or has special needs; general anesthesia may be a great solution for you. Your child rests comfortably and completely asleep while dental work is completed. Feel confident knowing that our team can provide dental care for your child under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. An anesthesiologist provides and safely monitors your child’s sedation while our team performs the dental work. Work together with Carmel Pediatric Dentistry to determine if this, or any other type of sedation, is the appropriate option for your child. Click here for more information on our Dental Anesthesiologist www.indyoba.com