Pediatric Sedation Dentistry at Growing Smiles

At Growing Smiles in Floral Vale we specialize in a technique known as oral conscious sedation. Sedation is recommended for children requiring dental treatment who are young, nervous, have special needs, and/or require multiple dental visits. Unlike general anesthesia, children are still able to breathe on their own and respond to verbal commands. Often children fall asleep because they are relaxed. All of the dental work is completed in one visit, making the experience easier on the child (and parent!).

Conscious Sedation Dentists are Licensed and Experienced

Dr. Radin, Dr. Bari and myself are specifically trained to perform these procedures in our office and are licensed by the state. We have safely sedated thousands of children, allowing us to provide high quality dental treatment while preventing a trip to surgery center for general anesthesia.

Preparing for the Oral Sedation Medicine

What to expect: patients are asked to come to their appointment with no food or drink after midnight the night before their treatment. Having your child on an empty stomach allows for better uptake of the medication and minimizes their risk of vomiting. After reviewing your child’s medical history, your child is weighed and medication is dispensed by the doctor based on your child’s weight that day.

Oral Sedation Coupled with Laughing Gas

Typically it takes 1 hour for the medication to take effect and your child will become sleepy and tired. At this point you will be separated from your child and the doctor will be with your child throughout the procedure. During the procedure, ensuring the patient’s safety is of the utmost importance. While a patient is sedated, we often use nitrous oxide paired with oxygen to help keep the patient calm. During the sedation, their blood oxygen level, breathing rate, and heart rate are closely monitored.

After the sedation, children are typically groggy and tired . Due to longer-lasting effects such as dizziness, sleepiness, a child shouldn’t go back to school or daycare after their procedure.

That night your doctor will check-in to see how your child is doing, but if you have any questions or concerns you can always reach us at our office at 215-860-9808 and we have provided more information about our oral sedation dentistry on this page.