Anesthesia for infants, children and adolescents

Children are not just small adults. They have different anatomy, physiology, psychological needs and accordingly, unique anesthetic considerations. Most children can tolerate routine dental care requiring only numbing medication (local anesthesia), laughing-gas (nitrous oxide inhalational sedation), or perhaps, laughing-gas in combination with a relaxing oral sedative (oral conscious sedation). However, children that require extensive treatment, are very young (pre-cooperative), uncooperative, combative, have a neurodevelopmental disorder, or those who have been traumatized by a previous negative dental/medical experience may benefit from sleep dentistry (IV sedation or general anesthesia). Our board-certified doctors specialize in providing hospital-quality sedation and general anesthesia in the comfort of your own pediatric dental office. Our anesthesia care team creates a non-threatening, controlled and fun environment, so that your child can achieve their treatment goals in a single appointment while peacefully napping, then go home quickly with minimal memory of the experience.

Most pediatric patients are good candidates for an outpatient/in-office anesthetic and can be safely and predictably cared for in a dental operatory, resulting in a cost-effective and efficient pathway to oral health. However, more medically complex pediatric patients would be more appropriately treated in a hospital setting. An anesthesia provider will evaluate the patient’s health history in order to make this determination. Once an appointment is scheduled, a patient packet will be emailed to you, containing information about the anesthesiologist and what to expect before the procedure, on the day of the procedure, during the procedure and following the procedure. You will be personally contacted by the anesthesiologist the night prior to treatment to discuss the pre-operative instructions, anesthetic plan, risks, benefits, alternatives and have adequate time to ask the doctor your questions. The anesthesiologist will also contact you the night of the procedure to check on the patient’s recovery. Truth be told, we love talking with our patients and parents so that you can feel at ease. Feel free to contact us anytime.