The History of Dentistry

After Dental Sedation: How to Help Your Child Recover Fast

23 July 2018

Regina Carlson

If your child needs to have any type of dental work done, whether it's a complex case or a quick and simple one, they'll need some sort of sedation to ensure their comfort during the procedure. Your child dentist will always take the utmost care to deliver safe and effective sedation to your child, but it's still important to know the best way to help your child recover after you get home. Read on to learn how to help your child recover from dental sedation both safely and quickly. 

Waking Up

There are several choices for sedation in your child dentist's office. Your dentist will choose one of the following based on your child's specific needs. They include:

Nitrous oxide sedation: This is the most popular kind of sedation for children. Your child inhales the nitrous oxide gas through a mask and then quickly grows relaxed and even euphoric. Many children don't even remember the dental procedure when they wake up, and nitrous oxide wears off quite quickly.

Intravenous sedation: Sedation that's delivered through a narrow tube, directly into a vein in your child's arm, this kind of sedation helps your child feel relaxed and sleepy, and your child may continue to be drowsy for a few hours after they wake up.

Oral sedation: Oral sedation is delivered through pills or a flavoured syrup. This sedation will make your child drowsy and very relaxed, and this may continue for several hours after they wake up.

No matter which type of sedation is used for your child, your child dentist will typically ask you to be beside your child as they wake up. This helps ensure a calm and easy transition as they awaken. Just hold their hand, speak soothingly and be cheerful to help your child feel secure. Your dentist will typically monitor your child for a short period in the office to ensure that they aren't having any problems with the sedation. After that, you can drive your child home.

Recovering at Home

Drive your child home straight away after their sedation dentistry appointment. They'll likely be drowsy and may still have some traces of euphoria after you leave the dentist's office. Your child should rest at home for the remainder of the day. They can stay in bed, on the couch or anywhere else where they can relax and where you can monitor them. Napping is fine, but it's also alright for your child to do calm activities like colouring or playing games.

When your child feels hungry, offer them soft foods like custard, ice cream or yoghurt. Your dentist will let you know when it's okay to resume a normal diet depending on the type of procedure your child had. With tooth extractions, you may need to keep your child on a soft diet for at least a few days.

Delivering Medication

If your child dentist prescribed any medication for your child, make sure to dispense those tablets promptly. It's common for children to have antibiotics after dental procedures, as this deters infection. Antibiotics should be finished completely, even if your child feels fine after a day or two. Pain medicine should be given exactly as prescribed by your child dentist. Make sure to have your child eat something with pain medication, as it can otherwise be upsetting to the stomach.

As long as you follow all the instructions from your child dentist, your child's sedation recovery will be smooth and easy. Phone your dentist today to discuss the best sedation option for your child!

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