How to Prepare Your Child for Dental Sedation
A little preparation makes the day of dental sedation calmer for both you and your child. This guide covers what usually happens before, during, and after the visit. Your dentist anesthesiologist will give you exact instructions for your child, and those always come first.
Before the appointment
Health review. We will ask about your child's medical history, medications, allergies, and any past experience with anesthesia.
Eating and drinking. Your child will need an empty stomach for at least 8 hours before the appointment. We will tell you the exact time to stop eating and drinking. Following these times is one of the most important things you can do for safety.
Illness. Call us if your child develops a cold, cough, fever, or wheezing in the days before the visit. We may need to reschedule.
Medications. Ask us which regular medications to give that morning.
How to talk to your child
Keep it simple and positive. You might say that the dentist will fix their teeth while they take a special nap, and that you will be there when they wake up. Avoid words like shot, hurt, or needle. Children often take their cues from a parent's calm tone.
What to bring
Comfortable, loose clothing with short sleeves.
A favorite blanket, toy, or comfort item.
A change of clothes, and a diaper or pull-up for younger children.
A second adult if possible, so one can drive and one can sit with your child on the way home.
On the day
The dentist anesthesiologist will meet you, review the plan, and answer your questions. Once your child is asleep, monitors track their heart rate, oxygen level, and breathing the entire time. The anesthesiologist stays with your child from start to finish.
After the appointment
Expect your child to be sleepy, unsteady, or a little irritable for a few hours.
Keep them home, resting, with an adult watching them for the rest of the day.
Start with clear liquids, then move to soft foods as they feel ready.
Skip the playground, bikes, and swimming until the next day.
When to call
Call us or your dentist if your child has trouble breathing, cannot be woken up, vomits more than 3 to 4 times, or if anything worries you. In an emergency, call 911.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Always follow the instructions your dentist anesthesiologist gives you.
