Sedation Information

Sedation can be effective for kids who – whether because of special needs, a previous bad experience or general anxiety – are just super-stressed about having any work done in their mouth.

Depending on the circumstance of the patient and the nature of the work being done, we’ll recommend one of three sedation options (from mild to moderate to deep):

• Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) – a safe and effective way to reduce anxiety, provide mild to moderate pain relief and decrease the gag reflex. Your child will be awake, can talk, and can respond to direction through their procedure. We use a scented nosepiece we call an ‘elephant trunk’ your child can breathe through.
• Oral sedation – we mix a special drink we call ‘brave juice’ for your child to take which contains midazolam, part of the Valium family of drugs. A short acting sedative, it allows Dr. Kari 30 minutes of working time and is ideal for short procedures. Oral sedation is only given to patients six years and older.
• General anesthetic – recommended in two circumstances only (when a child is unable to cooperate for treatment because they are too young or too afraid; or they have extensive dental treatment that may take a long time). The general anesthesia is administered by an anesthesiologist at an off-site at a surgical facility and Dr. Kari performs the dental treatment. General anesthetic is very safe. A health check/medical exam is required by your family doctor as an additional precaution to ensure this option is safe for your child.

Dr. Kari has an additional two years specialized training in these three sedation types.