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Education & Procedures

Sedation Options

Your doctor will collaborate with you to determine whether nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, IV sedation, or general anesthesia is the best option for your child. These brief explanations will help you understand what each option entails and the types of cases for which they are best suited.

Nitrous Oxide

You may have had laughing gas at your own dental appointment. The same gas is used for children, but at a lower, appropriate, and safe dosage. The child breathes in the gas through a facemask and feels giddy, perhaps silly. Nitrous oxide reduces the patient’s ability to sense mental or physical discomfort, time seems to pass quickly, and the effects subside when we stop administering the gas.

Nitrous oxide is best suited for children who need a little help to feel comfortable, be compliant, and sit still during a dental procedure. The child stays awake and is able to respond to questions and directions.

Oral Conscious Sedation

An oral sedative in liquid or pill form, in the appropriate dosage for your child’s age and weight, can make a dental appointment much more comfortable. After taking the medication, we’ll wait about 45 minutes to let it take effect, before beginning any procedure. During treatment, we’ll closely monitor your child’s breathing and pulse, and we may also administer some nitrous oxide. Expect your little one to feel groggy for a few hours following the appointment.

Oral conscious sedation is best suited for children who need more sedation than nitrous oxide offers, but do not require a deep sedation. Kids who feel anxious, scared, or cannot cooperate with instructions to maintain a safe and efficient environment, may be well suited for oral conscious sedation.

Conscious IV Sedation

With more dramatic sedative effects than nitrous or oral sedation, IV sedation is administered by an anesthesiologist in our office. In short, your child will receive a safe dosage of sedative through an IV in his vein. He will enter a twilight state, in which he’ll be still and conscious, unable to recognize any discomfort of mind or body. Many procedures, or a lengthy procedure, can be effectively completed when a child is under IV sedation. We can also take x-rays, if they were not able to be taken when your child was fully alert.

IV sedation is particularly beneficial for patients who may otherwise have a stressful, unpleasant, or traumatic experience, because after the effects subside, the child will remember little or none of his procedure. He may not even recall visiting the dentist’s office.

General Anesthesia

General anesthesia is best suited for children with special needs, certain medical conditions, extensive dental treatment and, or children who cannot be safely seen in a dental office.

If your child needs to be completely asleep under general anesthesia, it is performed at Texas Children's Hospital or our local Surgery Center and administered by Anesthesiologist and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.
We follow the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, American Academy of Pediatricians and the American Academy of Anesthesiologists to ensure the utmost safety and care of your child.

Call Now to Learn More

To discuss sedation dentistry for your child, call us at (281) 528-9900 and schedule a consultation with Dr. Vincent Luan or Dr. Alice Luan.

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