Loading smiles...
Some children need a little extra support to complete dental treatment comfortably and safely. Sedation may be considered because of anxiety, age, sensory or medical needs, previous experiences, or the amount of treatment required. In Alberta, sedation is a regulated part of dental care and may be considered for factors including dental anxiety, young age, certain cognitive or motor needs, and traumatic or extensive procedures. The right option depends on the individual child.
Support Looks Different for Every Child
Some kids do well with explanation, reassurance, breaks, and time to get comfortable. Others may need a little more support, and sometimes that can include sedation. The goal is not to ask every child to experience dental treatment the same way. It is to choose a care plan that fits the child in front of us.
There is no one answer that applies to every child.
The conversation can include your child’s age and development, medical history, anxiety, previous dental experiences, ability to tolerate treatment, the dental work needed, and the risks and benefits of the available options.
In Alberta, sedation standards set requirements around provider training, patient selection, staffing, monitoring, recovery, and discharge. Those requirements vary depending on the type and depth of sedation being used.
You should understand what is being recommended, why it is being considered, and what the appointment will involve. The College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta also emphasizes informed choice, plain-language explanations, discussion of treatment options, and giving patients or decision-makers the opportunity to ask questions.
Nitrous oxide, often called laughing gas, may be used to help some children feel more relaxed during dental treatment.
All the Pediatric Dentists at Dental Care for Children are extensively trained to select which patients would benefit from Nitrous Oxide sedation. They then provide the sedation to ensure that your child has the best possible experience while completing their dental care safely and effectively.
For some children, general anaesthesia may be the safest or most appropriate way to complete necessary dental care.
In healthy patients with extensive dental needs, outpatient surgical settings are appropriate treatment environments for children who require dental care under general anaesthesia. In Alberta, providing general anaesthesia is subject to specific dentist and facility-level requirements under the College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta’s standards. [Dental Care for Children provides General Anesthesia services on-site. While the Pediatric Dentists provide the dental care, Board-Certified Anesthesiologists and nurses provide the General Anesthesia. That is to say that we provide care at the absolute highest level, using a team approach, with the safety of the patient being our primary concern.
However, because the care is provided in our own regulated facility, our families feel more comfortable being cared for in their own dental practice, by familiar faces, rather than having to go to a scary hospital.
We aim to make the experience comfortable and straight-forward, so that you can focus only on our child on the day of the procedure. We offer a supportive environment where all your questions and concerns are addressed immediately by the many kind-hearted professionals surrounding you.
Before a sedation appointment, parents and caregivers should understand:
Ask us.
It is completely reasonable to want to understand how sedation works, what the alternatives are, and why a particular option is being recommended for your child. A good conversation is part of safe, respectful care.
For over 50 years, every child who has sat in our chair has mattered to us. The nervous ones. The wiggly ones. The ones who needed a little extra time, a little extra patience, and a lot of encouragement. Every single one of them.
