At Helotes Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we are committed to making sure your child receives the high quality dental care they need in a comfortable, calm and gentle environment by providing sedation dentistry options to relieve anxiety at our San Antonio, TX pediatric dentist office.
Quality dental care should not hurt, which is why we provide treatment that our patients and their parents can trust. You can relax during your visit knowing our doctors always use the latest pediatric sedation dentistry treatment techniques to ensure your peace of mind.
Sedation dentistry can help many young children who suffer from high anxiety or are too young for invasive treatments. At Helotes Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we provide safe and effective drugs that can help relax your child during their dental treatment.
We offer in-office dental sedation options for kids, including oral sedation and laughing gas. If your child has special needs or a more complicated dental treatment case, we can also provide treatment using general IV medication in a hospital setting.
Our goal is the same for each child in our care - to ensure a positive dental experience in a safe environment!
Oral Sedation
If your child suffers from dental anxiety, Dr. Moreno may recommend oral sedation. This type of sedation tones down activity in the parts of your child's brain that cause them to feel anxious or afraid.
Laughing Gas
Unfortunately, dental anxiety can keep many patients from visiting the dentist for checkups and much-needed dental work. If dental appointments make your child anxious, our pediatric dental team can administer laughing gas to help your child feel more at ease during their visit.
At Helotes Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, laughing gas is administered using a mask, allowing your child to relax and feel more at ease within minutes. If your child is feeling anxious about an upcoming visit, ask about laughing gas. Most of our patients are good candidates for this treatment.
IV Sedation (only offered with pediatric hospital dentistry)
IV Sedation Dentistry is a safe way to eliminate the fear and anxiety many children feel during dental procedures.
IV Sedation Dentistry can also allow our pediatric dental team to complete complex dental procedures in just one or two appointments!
Don't let dental anxiety keep your child from receiving the dental care they need.
Call Helotes Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics to schedule your child's pediatric sedation dentistry appointment at our San Antonio dental office today!
We pride ourselves on our pediatric dentistry services, gentle treatment & comfortable rapport we build with our patients from infancy through their teens.
Sedation Dentistry FAQs
Can my child return to school after receiving dental sedation?
It depends on the services they received and the sedation options that were used. If your child regularly experiences dental anxiety and just needs nitrous oxide to feel calm and relaxed during dental cleanings, they should be fine to return to school afterward. If they undergo an advanced treatment like a dental extraction, they should go straight home regardless of the sedation that is used. Oral conscious sedation and IV sedation can take a few hours to wear off, so patients should not plan on returning to school if these sedation options are used.
Does sedation dentistry for kids have side effects?
Nitrous oxide is known for being able to wear off quickly, but nausea and headaches can be side effects. We recommend having your child eat a light meal or snack before their visit to avoid this. Dry mouth, nausea, dizziness, and headaches are common side effects of using oral conscious sedation and IV sedation, although most patients experience very few or no side effects at all. You never know the exact reaction a child will have, so we advise parents to let their child rest and take it easy for the rest of the day whenever possible.
Is dental sedation safe for children?
Patient safety is always our number one priority at Helotes Pediatric Dentistry. We always go over the patient's treatment plan and medical history before recommending or administering certain types of dental sedation for kids, and we always get a parent or guardian's permission as well. You can expect your child to feel groggy or worn out after receiving dental sedation, but should they develop a fever or if you have any questions or concerns for our office after their visit, please don't hesitate to contact us, and we will assist you right away.
