Dental sedation can be an excellent choice for children who suffer from dental anxiety!
Some St. Louis parents have no issues taking their child to the dentist. They simply make an appointment, bring their child in, stand by as the child gets their treatment, and leave without any stress. For other parents, this is not the case. This is because, for various reasons, their child has serious issues with seeing the dentist. The most common culprit is dental anxiety, which affects both children and adults. This may result in a fight every time that child needs dental care. Fortunately, there is a solution: sedation dentistry. Below, we explain why sedation dentistry is a useful tool for parents.
Dental Anxiety is Prevalent in Children
Though dental anxiety is found among all age groups, it is especially widespread among children. For many kids, the idea of going to the dentist is terrifying. It involves interacting with people they are not familiar with, hearing unpleasant sounds, and feeling the regular discomfort that comes from a visit to the dentist. While some children can easily brave through these factors, others are overcome by emotion and cannot.
Children Tend to Have Poor Emotional Control
When adults feel anxiety and fear, they can often manage them through the power of will and self-talk. For children, this task is much harder. Instead of being able to “tough out” their emotions, they are frequently overcome by them. The result in this situation is a child not being able to push their dental fears aside, and instead, being overwhelmed by them.
They Often Cannot Sit Still
Even if a child is not feeling anxious, they might be overactive. Every parent either has or has met a kid that just cannot sit still. Instead, they squirm and fight any time someone tries to make them do so. As you might imagine, this makes the dentist’s job much harder and increases the chance of a mistake being made.
Oral Health is Critical
A parent with an especially difficult child might decide to not see the dentist at all. They could get tired of fighting their children every time they try, so they give up entirely. Unfortunately, this can have dire consequences. Oral health is critical for children, and denying them regular dental visits will make it suffer.
How Sedation Can Help
When you take your child to a St. Louis sedation dentist, they will be given some form of sedation. Which type they receive will depend on their needs, but no matter what, it will relax them. This will allow your child to not feel the negative emotions they associate with trips to the dentist, and let your dentist work on their teeth without issue.
As a parent, your top priority is your child’s health. Because of this, it is natural for you to question how healthy sedation is. Here’s the good news: Sedation is generally safe for children. This has been proven throughout many decades of practicing medicine, so you do not have to worry. The summation of all of these factors makes sedation a safe solution to your child’s issues and a useful tool in making them as healthy as possible.