Dental Treatment: Treatment under Conscious Sedation

Some children cannot receive dental treatment in the usual manner due to their young age, excessive fear, inability to cooperate and/or extensive treatment needs.  Conscious sedation is a management technique that uses medication to assist the child to cope with fear and anxiety and cooperate with dental treatment.  This can also help prevent injury to the child from patient movement and promote better environment for providing dentistry.  However, sedation is NOT the same as general anesthesia, and your child will NOT be asleep like they would be in a hospital.

There are two kinds of sedation we offer:

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

Nitrous oxide is a very quick-acting inhaled sedation medicine that decreases discomfort and anxiety. It is sometimes called laughing gas, and is often given at the dentist’s office.
Your child will inhale the medicine through a mask, breathing in and out normally through the nose.   Your child can pick the smell of the mask, such as bubble gum or strawberry. The nitrous oxide will make your child feel relaxed, euphoric and sleepy. It will be given a few minutes before the procedure starts and may continue until it is finished. 

Oral Conscious Sedation

Besides nitrous oxide, your child can also be given an oral medication to help them further relaxed for the dental procedures.

To ensure the safety of your child, we are trained to follow the sedation guidelines by the College of Dental Surgeons of BC and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

For more info on how to take care of your child after sedation, download "Dental treatment under conscious sedation" pamphlet.