Sedation Dentistry

Sedation Dentistry in Houston, TX

Sedation dentistry is a type of optional treatment that is offered to patients undergoing stressful dental procedures. Dr. James and our staff understand that staying still for delicate surgical procedures can be very difficult to tolerate for young and apprehensive patients.

Dr. James Pediatric Dentistry provides a choice of nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral medications, or intravenous (IV) sedation to help relieve your child of anxiety or even allow them to be completely asleep during dental procedures.

Types of Sedation

Inhaled Sedation

The type of inhaled sedation we use at our office is nitrous oxide or laughing gas. Your child is given a single use "nose" that smells of bubble gum, cherry, orange, grape, or mint. Oxygen is used to get the patient accustomed to wearing the nose piece. Then Dr. James will slowly adjust the amount of nitrous oxide to the level the child needs to relieve anxiety during the procedure. Nitrous oxide has been proven for decades to be safe for mild anxiety relief. At the end of the treatment, Dr. James will turn the nitrous oxide off and fully oxygenate the patient. Your child can return to normal activities as soon as they leave the office. Side effects to nitrous oxide, when used properly, are very rare.

Oral Sedation

Oral sedation involves giving one or more medications to the patient to drink or swallow to provide a conscious sedation experience. Conscious sedation means that the patient is not as alert as normal and may even feel very drowsy to the point of falling asleep. The medications used can be used alone or in combination. Typical medications are antihistamines, muscle relaxers, and pain relievers. During the procedure, the patient will feel tired and less responsive to stimulation. They will still be awake and able to speak and express themselves. After the procedure, the patient will be drowsy and/or lethargic for a few hours. They will be able to perform all normal activities the next day.

Prior to your child’s oral sedation appointment:

Please notify us of any change in your child’s health and/or medical condition. Do not bring your child for treatment with a fever, ear infection, or cold. Should your child become ill, contact us to see if it is necessary to postpone the appointment.
You must tell Dr. James of any drugs that your child is currently taking and any drug reactions and/or change in medical history.
Please dress your child in loose-fitting, comfortable clothing.
Please make sure that your child goes to the bathroom immediately prior to arriving at the office.
Your child should not have solid food for at least three hours prior to their sedation appointment and only clear liquids for up to two hours before the appointment.
The child's parent or legal guardian must remain at the office during the complete procedure.
Please watch your child closely while the medication is taking effect. Hold them in your lap or keep them close to you. Do not let them "run around."
Your child will act drowsy and may become slightly excited at first.

After the sedation appointment:

Your child will be drowsy and will need to be monitored very closely. Keep your child away from areas of potential harm.
If your child wants to sleep, place them on their side with their chin up. Wake your child every hour and encourage them to have something to drink in order to prevent dehydration. At first, it is best to give your child sips of clear liquids to prevent nausea. The first meal should be light and easily digestible.
If your child vomits, help them bend over and turn their head to the side to ensure that they do not inhale the vomit.
Because we use a local anesthetic to numb your child’s mouth during the procedure, your child may have the tendency to bite or chew their lips, cheeks, and/or tongue and/or rub and scratch their face after treatment. Please observe your child carefully to prevent any injury to these areas.
Please call our Houston dental office for any questions or concerns that you might have.

Intravenous Sedation

Intravenous sedation or IV sedation is provided by an anesthesiologist in our office. IV sedation involves delivering strong anesthetic medications into the patient's blood stream to provide a very deep level of sedation. The patient will be asleep and unconscious of all dental procedures. Treatment typically takes one hour, and the patient will wake up and leave the office after they are fully recovered.

During IV sedation, our anesthesiologist will provide the medications and monitoring while Dr. James performs the dental surgery. During IV sedations, our office is closed except for the patient undergoing anesthesia. The whole team is focused on this one patient. Dr. James has been providing IV sedation in Houston as an option to his patients since 2003 with great success.

Prior to your child’s appointment:

Please notify us of any change in your child’s health and/or medical condition. Do not bring your child for treatment with a fever, ear infection, or cold. Should your child become ill, contact us to see if it is necessary to postpone the appointment.
You must tell Dr. James of any drugs that your child is currently taking and any drug reactions and/or change in medical history.
Please dress your child in loose-fitting, comfortable clothing.
Please make sure that your child goes to the bathroom immediately prior to arriving at the office.
Your child should not have milk or solid food after midnight prior to the scheduled procedure and clear liquids ONLY (water, apple juice, Gatorade) for up to six hours prior to the appointment.
The child’s parent or legal guardian must remain at the office during the complete procedure.

After the sedation appointment:

Your child will be drowsy and will need to be monitored very closely. Keep your child away from areas of potential harm.
If your child wants to sleep, place them on their side with their chin up. Wake your child every hour and encourage them to have something to drink in order to prevent dehydration. At first, it is best to give your child sips of clear liquids to prevent nausea. The first meal should be light and easily digestible.
If your child vomits, help them bend over and turn their head to the side to ensure that they do not inhale the vomit.
Please call our Houston pediatric dental office for any questions or concerns that you might have.

At Dr. James Pediatric Dentistry, we believe that most of the anxiety our young patients experience can be relieved by creating an experience that is fun, comfortable, and honest. We start each visit with a technique called "tell, show, do." We tell them in child-friendly terms what we are going to do. We show them some of the tools. Then during each procedure, we talk to them about what is happening. This eliminates much of the fear of the unknown that often leads to general dental anxiety.