Breathe Easy: 3 Tips for Choosing a Sedation Dentist for Your Child

January 3, 2025

Millions of patients around the world have finally been able to get the dental care they need despite feeling nervous thanks to sedation dentistry, and this includes countless children! As a parent, you of course want your child to not have to deal with anxiety at the dentist, but you’re also hesitant about making their treatment more complicated with sedation. Partnering with the right dentist can help you feel confident in your care decisions, and here’s how to make sure you’re choosing the right one.

Start with a Pediatric Specialist

Of course, when it comes to sedation dentistry and children, the foremost expert is a pediatric dentist. They’ve undergone years of specialized training entirely focused on meeting the unique dental needs of patients aged 0-18. If you have any questions about your sedation options (like “Is sedation dentistry safe for kids?)” and what they could do for your child, they’re in the best position to answer.

They Don’t Start with Sedation

While sedation is incredibly effective, it does add quite a bit of time to any procedure. Firstly, a dentist needs to screen your child and ask you about their medical history so they can make sure whatever sedation method they recommend won’t cause a problem (like with any medication they are currently taking). Plus, you’ll have to monitor your child after their appointment while the effects wear off, meaning you’ll likely need to take the day off from work/school.

Ideally, your child’s dentist will try to spend some time with them ahead of their appointment (most likely at the screening) to see if they can help them stay calm and cool without sedation first. Taking things slowly, explaining everything, and using dozens of little distraction techniques might be all that your child needs to keep their mind at ease. The benefit of this is that everyone gets what they want—your child stays comfortable, their appointment goes by faster, and you both don’t have to sacrifice the rest of the day to recuperate.

You Have Options

Every parent knows that no two children are exactly the same, and pediatric dentists understand this. To that end, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dental sedation. The right dentist will not only help you decide if sedation is a good fit for your child in general, but they’ll also offer you different methods, like nitrous oxide or oral conscious sedation based on your child’s needs and the procedure they require.

Just one sedation appointment can completely reset how a child thinks about the dentist, so following these tips will give you the peace of mind that you’ve decided to work with the right professional.

About the Practice

Schoharie Dental features a team of several dentists, including two certified pediatric dentists, Dr. Alexis Daniels and Dr. Carl Fusco-Gessick. They would be more than happy to talk to you about using sedation at your child’s next visit—you can call our office or go ahead and schedule an appointment by clicking here.

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