It is very important to meet the dentist and make ‘chat and control’ visits before the caries and pain occur in children, in terms of preventing the transmission of fear of the dentist in the society to children.
Before taking your child to the dentist, it would be best to get information about the procedure to be done. In general, applying to the dentist before the formation of very large cavities and severe pain in the teeth makes the treatment easier for both the child and the doctor. However, if the doctor has to give anesthesia to the child who is brought with the prejudice that “the doctor will not give an injection”, the child will not trust both you and the doctor. For this reason, it will be important to inform the child correctly about the treatment, to overcome his fear and gain his trust.
Another point that parents should pay attention to is to avoid statements such as “if you don’t behave, I will take you to the dentist, he will pull your tooth” and not to turn the dentist into an element of fear.
For these reasons;
1) Taking the child to the dentist should not be a punishment. On the contrary, an environment should be created for the child to go to the dentist with pleasure.
2) It is important not to create the perception that “the child will feel pain” with the action of “going to the dentist”. However, deceiving the child by saying “Your tooth will never hurt” makes further treatments difficult.
3) Having a good dialogue with the dentist is a factor that helps the child overcome his fear. For this, let the child answer the questions asked by the dentist himself.
“If your child cannot overcome the fear of the dentist and you do not want to delay the caries treatment, in Oral and Dental Health Centers where experienced anesthesiologists and dentists are authorized to apply “dental treatment with sedation or general anesthesia”, sedation or general anesthesia can be used. It is possible to have dental treatments under anesthesia. “
Sedation aims to give your child a positive experience with the dentist and dental treatment. The drugs used here are also anesthetic drugs. However, compared to general anesthesia (narcosis), both the doses are low and the number of drugs used is less. The dose of drugs used in sedation is determined according to your child’s needs. The level of sleep in sedation is not as deep as in general anesthesia. Keeping the child in a light sleep state is often sufficient for dental treatment. Another feature that distinguishes sedation from narcosis is that the child’s own breathing continues during the procedure. Therefore, there is no need to place a tube in the throat to ensure respiration.
In Turkey, sedation and general anesthesia can only be legally performed under operating room conditions where all kinds of technical and drug equipment are available. Sedation and general anesthesia require working with an anesthesiologist. Dentists and other medical doctors are not authorized to apply sedation alone without this specialty training.
Advice to Families Before Sedation
If your child has flu, cold, cough, fever complaints before sedation, the procedure can be delayed. In such a case, call your doctor immediately.
Make sure your child stays hungry and thirsty for 3.5-4 hours before the procedure. This is vital to reduce the risk of nausea and vomiting.
On the way to the dentist, you can bring a favorite toy or blanket to comfort your child.
Take care to be at the clinic 10-15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time. This creates time for the child to get used to the clinical environment.
Make sure your child goes to the toilet before the procedure. In some cases, under sedation may occur.
Dress your child in comfortable and useful clothes on the day of the procedure.
Be sure to have spare clothes available.
It is normal for your child to develop drowsiness, drowsiness, irritability and whining in the early period after the procedure. Don’t worry. During this process, do not leave your child alone and keep them under observation.
Try to ensure that your child rests during the recovery period. During the recovery period, calming and encouraging words spoken in a soft style allow the child to wake up more calmly.
Do not make plans with lots of activity for the day of sedation. Make sure your child spends that day at home, in a quiet environment.
After you go home, you can start eating and drinking, including liquid foods, at the time your doctor allows (usually 1.5-2 hours later). Warm and soft foods are good options for nutrition.
Do not hesitate to contact your doctor in cases that are contradictory to you and develop outside of what you have been told.
