If you want the child to be completely asleep and have no memory of the treatment experience we will recommend general anesthesia in a hospital setting. In addition, some children are so anxious, in-office conscious sedation may not be effective, or if Dr. Josh needs to perform more than 2 sedation visits to treat all the cavities, general anesthesia is the best option. These procedures can only be done in a surgical environment with an anesthesiologist.
We only use general anesthesia if we think it will be beneficial. It can:
- Reduce psychological trauma by relaxing him/her and relieving their anxiety.
- Allow for safer and more effective delivery of dental treatment.
- Improve the quality of the dental treatment as opposed to a child who is moving in-office.
- Create loss of memory of the experience, which can decrease future dental anxiety.
For other frequently asked questions, please visit the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s website.