Sedations
Parent Instructions for Childern
Receiving Sedation During Dental Treatment
You have just been informed that your child would best be managed in the
dental office by the administration of sedation. Sedation should produce
a state of relaxation and drowsiness, even sleep, so that dental treatment
can be completed in a comfortable and safe manner. The sedation of your
child is accomplished by a combination of drugs that are swallowed/and or
injected. Most children respond well to sedation, but some will not,
in which case alternatives will be discussed with you. Undoubtedly, you
will have many questions concerning how the sedation will be accomplished.
This handout is intended to answer those questions and provide important
information and instructions that must be understood and followed before,
during, and after the sedation appointment.
Before the Appointment
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NO eating or drinking for six (6) hours before the appointment: Most
medications we use for sedation are given orally and work best on an
empty stomach. Some of the medicines may cause nausea and vomiting –
an empty stomach reduces the chances of this unpleasant reaction.
Having an empty stomach also ensures a more complete absorption of the
medicine into the blood stream.
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Report the use of any and all other medications: Notify us of any drugs
given to your child within 24 hours of the sedation appointment. Any
daily medication that is used at the direction of a physician should be
given with a sip of water.
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Report any and all change in health status: If your child has a cold,
runny nose, cough or fever within 2 days of the sedation appointment,
it may be necessary to reschedule the appointment. Failure to keep
your appointment without prior notification will result in dismissal
from our care. With your cooperation, we will be able to provide more
efficient quality care for your child as well as others.
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Dress your child in comfortable clothes: Loose and light clothes are
necessary to keep your child comfortable. Remove all nail polish from
the child’s fingers and toes as this may inhibit the effectiveness of
the monitors used in the care of your child.
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Adult Supervision!! Since you will have to closely attend to your child
before and after the sedation appointment, it is required that you do not
bring other children to the appointment to prevent distractions. We
ask that they stay at home. Also, it is STRONGLY recommended that
another adult be present to help with the sedated child.
During the Appointment
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Events at your arrival: Upon arrival, your child will be weighed in
order to determine the proper dosage of medications to be given. Sometimes
children refuse to drink the medicine and may have to be held while the
medicine is squirted into the back of the mouth with a plastic syringe.
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Effectiveness of the drug used: With most of the drugs we use, 30-60
minutes is required before the maximum effects are achieved. During this
time, close supervision of your child is necessary. Keep your child as
quiet as possible while waiting for the effects to take place. As the
medication begins to become effective, closely supervise and limit the
activity of your child to prevent accidents from occurring because of lack
of coordination or drowsiness. This type of sedation will not render
your child unconscious nor will it interfere with your child’s ability
to breathe, cough, cry and exhibit normal protective reflexes. It is
difficult to predict the effectiveness of this type of sedation and there
is a chance that the drug(s) may not be totally effective for your child.
This could result in limited dental work being accomplished or in the
recommendation that further care would best be delivered in the hospital
operating room setting using general anesthesia.
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During the dental treatment: After the sedation becomes effective, your
child will be carried to the dental operatory where he/she will be placed
in a protective wrap to prevent unnecessary movement. A rubber prop will
be inserted in the mouth to help maintain the mouth in an open position.
Monitoring equipment and extra personnel are on hand to ensure your child’s
well being. Since you will not be allowed in the operatory, we request
that you remain in the waiting area for the duration of the appointment.
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Going home: Your child will be sent home with you awake and alert.
This may require 1-2 hours of recovery time following the treatment.
It is also required that you come to your appointment with your own
transportation. This will aid the recovery time for the child between
the dental office and home. Also, as with any medical procedure, emergencies
could arise. Having your own transportation will allow you to quickly
go to the nearest medical facility for care instead of depending upon
available public transportation. It is STRONGLY recommended that one
adult is available to drive home, while the second adult sits beside the
child in the backseat to provide supervision of the post-sedated child.
After the Appointment
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CONSTANT SUPERVISION: The effects of the medication will wear off slowly
over a period of several hours. Your child may sleep during this period
or become very irritable – the response varies among children. Do not
allow your child to walk unassisted until his/her balance is regained.
Also, do not allow your child to bite or rub his/her cheeks, lip or tongue
until the numbness or “fat” feeling of the local anesthetic wears off,
which is usually in 2 hours.
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DRINKING OR EATING: Encourage your child to drink liquids, especially
plain water or clear fluids such as tea, ginger ale, soup broth, fruit
juice or Gatorade, as soon as possible to help prevent nausea and dehydration.
Small amounts of liquids taken repeatedly are preferable to taking large
amounts. Soft, bland food may be taken when desired. If vomiting occurs,
discontinue all intake for 1-2 hours, then begin again with small amounts
of clear liquids.
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FEVER AND PAIN: Your child’s temperature may be elevated to 101° F for the
first 24 hours after treatment. Children’s Tylenol taken every four hours
as directed and will help alleviate any pain or fever.
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PROBLEMS: Call us if any questions or problems arise. Notify us
immediately if any of the following occur:
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Vomiting persists beyond 4 hours after the appointment
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Temperature remains elevated beyond 24 hours or goes above 101°F
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There is any difficulty breathing
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Excessive pain, not relieved by the prescribed medication
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Excessive bleeding
We may be contacted at the office at 770-439-9119 between 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. or,
if after hours or on a weekend, you will be given an on-call number to use.
New Location Opening in Fall
Our new office at Cedar Crest will be open on October 5, 2010.