Sedation Dentistry for Kids in Fremont

Sedation

We know that going to the dentist may be scary for children. Our team at Stepping Stones strives to make every child feel at ease! In order to comfort your child and make their treatment experience more positive, we provide:

Nitrous Oxide (“Laughing Gas”)

Nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas, is a safe and effective method used to help apprehensive or anxious patients relax during their dental treatment. It provides a way for our patients to be less aware of the injection of local anesthetics. It is almost always used in conjunction with a local anesthetic, but in some cases can be the sole method of preventing discomfort for our patients. Patients remain alert, awake and can talk to the dentist and staff during their treatment. The onset is quick, the effects are fully reversible, and recovery is rapid (2-5 minutes). When treatment is complete, the nitrous is turned off and oxygen is administered for 5 to 10 minutes to help flush any remaining gas. The effects wear off almost immediately. Nitrous oxide has virtually no side effects, although some patients may experience minor nausea.

General Anesthesia/IV Sedation

Sedation can range from the use of nitrous oxide to calm a patient to general anesthetics used to have patients completely asleep for procedures. Very young patients or those patients with special needs, dental phobia, or major dental treatment may require general anesthesia when nitrous oxide sedation isn’t effective enough, or would necessitate too many visits to reasonably do for some children.

We work with certified dental anesthesiologists to care for your child during general anesthesia. These highly-trained doctors administer anesthesia to infants and children.

Before using any anesthetic or medication, it is extremely important that you tell us about any known health conditions and medications or medical treatments that your child is receiving- Failure to do so can be life threatening. Our doctors will fully explain the process of sedation and give you pre- and post-sedation instructions.