Overcoming Kid’s Dental Anxiety: Sedation and Other Approaches

17 Dec Overcoming Kid’s Dental Anxiety: Sedation and Other Approaches

Posted at 15:17h in Blog, Kids Dentist, pediatric dentist by Kash Mughal

Dental anxiety and fear regarding dentist visits are not uncommon. In fact, according to a 2021 study, about 36% of people in America have anxiety or fear of dental treatment, and 12% have an extreme fear. So, it is no surprise that children often have dental anxiety.

A variety of factors may cause this dental anxiety:

Helplessness- especially if they don’t have a trusted friend/family nearby.
Modeling – they have heard someone talking about their fear of the dentist
Experiences – if they had an unpleasant experience or have heard friends talking about a bad experience
Change – not liking to go to new places or do different things
Misinformation – Hearing peers or respected adults talk about or exaggerate a procedure or scenario. For example, talk of big needles, using an expression such as “yanking out or pulling“ teeth, drilling, etc., can be pretty scary!

However, going to the dentist shouldn’t be something to be afraid of. With some simple steps, your child can be comfortable with a trip to the dentist. While it is important that you talk with your child and answer any questions (there are many books and online resources to help with this!) they may have about a dentist visit, there are steps we can take at Kids Pediatric Dentistry to make dental anxiety a non-issue. One of the most common approaches is dental sedation.

Children and Dental Sedation

Dental sedation is perfectly safe for children to combat dental anxiety. It is achieved by using a mild sedative to help them calm down and relax throughout their dentist’s visit. Two commonly used sedatives are nitrous oxide and oral sedatives. In more intense cases, general anesthesia may be used.

Nitrous Oxide for Dental Anxiety: Often referred to as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is administered with a mask. Your child will be asked to breathe through their nose. In doing so, they will breathe in a mixture of air with the medication. It takes about five minutes to take effect, and then the mask is left on throughout the entire visit. Your child will be awake the whole visit but in a relaxed, ‘happy’ state. Once the visit or procedure is finished, the nitrous oxide will be turned off, and your child will breathe pure oxygen for at least 5 minutes before removing the mask. There will be no lingering side effects for your child.

Oral Sedation for Kids: If your child’s dental anxiety is especially significant, an alternate approach is oral sedation. An oral sedative can be prescribed for your child to take by mouth before their visit. The sedative is mild but will help them relax. In some cases, it may cause them to fall asleep. This type of sedation typically wears off a few hours after the dentist visit.

General Anesthesia for Dealing with Dental Anxiety: If your child’s dental anxiety is intense or perhaps, they need to have a great deal of dental work performed, it may often be best to use general anesthesia. Ideally, the other forms of dental sedation should be tried before jumping directly to this approach; however, it is perfectly safe for a child to have general anesthesia.

Non-Medicinal Approaches to Helping Your Child Overcome Dental Anxiety

Determine what is causing their fear, and have healthy, safe conversations about it.
Visit the dentist prior to their actual appointment. Encourage them to ask questions, sit in the dental chair, meet the dental staff, etc., so they can feel at ease.
Allow them to bring a favorite toy or blanket to their visit.
Tell them about the appointment in advance and then discuss any concerns they might have. Don’t downplay their fears or anxiety; be honest about what they should expect.
Use role play, books, YouTube, etc., to help them understand what happens at a dental visit.
Use distractions. Consider letting them use a tablet, phone, music/earbuds, or hand-held game during the appointment, so long as it doesn’t interfere with what the dentist needs to do.

If your child experiences dental anxiety, know that they are not alone. Talk to them to understand what they fear, and be sure to let the Kids Pediatric team know. After all, knowledge is a great thing, and the more everyone understands the more successful the dental appointment. Don’t let dental anxiety keep your child from having a beautiful, healthy smile. Talk to us today about any fears, concerns, or best sedation approaches. We are here to help.