Seeking Advice/experience for Children That Require I.V. Sedation at Dentist

Both of my kids had IV sedation. It went fine. It's scary but it's worse if they don't get the work done now. My nine year old hated it. He didn't like the taste of the relaxing drug they gave him. And that first appointment, they had to strap him down. I much prefer them to be out than tied down and terrified. Good luck!!!!!

Both of my girls were nervous to go to the dentist so I have them give the oral sedation when we arrive and then wait about 30 minutes and they do just fine. After about two or three times of this we have switched to just the gas and they are doing so well.

Hi A.,
I have heard of IV Sedation at the dentist. My son is going to use a one-time prescription of clonazapam. The pill costs $8.00. We found this due to his extreme fear of having blood drawn for some labs. He saw the blood, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and passed out for a moment, then woke up throwing up. The lab tech sent us to the ER, bought he was already fine. The next time, the clonazapam relaxed him and took away the anxiety and fear and he did terrific! I'm hopeful that with such an extreme reaction to the blood draw and then very little fear with the clonazapam that we are going to try this at the dentist instead of the IV sedation. Just wanted to pass on what we're going to try, hopefully someone will have advice who's already found it successful at the dentist!
Best wishes,
S.
p.s. Since you're into herbs, have you tried Valerian Root with her for anything?

My daughter at 4 ended up having IV sedation.

When they say "IV" sedation, I thought they were going to put in an IV. They just gave her a shot of Versed.

I wish I had listened to the dentist when she recommended we go that way first. I said no and ended up having to do the sedation anyway.

(She had been to the dentist before and was GREAT with just a cleaning and x-rays.)

My daughter has a small mouth and her teeth are very crowded. She had a small cavity. They started drilling and she freaked out! I never saw her so scared and nothing could calm her down. She was screaming and trying to jump off the chair. Staff was holding her down so the dentist could attempt to drill. They gas did not help her at all.I was thinking that the dentist might do more harm to another tooth or her gums if that drill were to slip. She was trying to do her best and was staying pretty calm!

I finally told them to stop and sedate her. It turns out that her cavity was much bigger once they started drilling and she needed a "root canal." On kids it isn't called a root canal...it is a pulp something. Then they had to place a cap on the tooth.

She had to stay after her procedure in a room with bean bags for awhile. She had to either drink or eat a popsicle and not vomit. After that she was able to leave.

She behaved like a drunk person. Slurring her speech and had difficulties walking. It lasted about 1 hour after we got home. To my amazement, she remembers everything. I was hoping she would forget so she would be scared the next time.

She always points out the dentist when we drive past it and tells me she doesn't want to go back. That they hurt her!

I wish now I would have taken the advise of the dentist. She told me that it is easier on the kids when they are younger to sedate b/c they don't understand what is being explained to them.

Our IV sedation wasn't covered either and it was about $300.00

I glanced at a post that said something about being in a hospital and being $6000.00. I'm not sure if that could be compared. That might be something extremely complex. I know with handicapped kids/adults (severely handicapped) the dentist actually takes them in an OR and works on them. But I can't see that being the case in an office setting.

If I had to go back, I would sedate first. I would sedate my other children as well. I couldn't stand to see staff members trying to hold my child down and one person holding her head while the dentist is trying to drill again.

I'm sure all kids are different and handle stuff differently.

Good luck with what you decide.

T.

Hello, I would suggest contacting the Pediatric Dentisty at the Children's hospital ###-###-####. They are wonderful with kids, My son had to be put under for dental work and they were very supportive and answered all my questions.

My 5-year old son is having IV sedated dental work next week. I'm a little freaked out about it to, but he was just terribly frightened to have his cavities filled (however, he does fabulous at cleanings). I was told that the anastesia has a "forgetful" effect and the children don't even remember getting put out or having the dental work done, so hopefully he won't have a continued fear of the dentist.

I looked into taking him to pediatric dentists, but after speaking with several friends, I decided this was a better route for us after hearing their horror stories of pediatric dentists strapping their children down. And others who had to have their children sedated and it went very well. Luckily, our insurance will cover half of the sedation, but it's still going to be at least $300 for us, but I'd rather just get it done and have him not fear the dentist in the future. I'll let you know how it goes for us next week. Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone.

It might not have been the benadryl both of my oldest sons have reactions to the laughing gas that scared me. Giving a child benadryl and motrin sounds like a lot to me on top of the laughing gas. She was probably to drugged up and that is why she freaked out. What did your pediatrician say about that combo of drugs?

I would tell you completely understand that the machines and having your mouth open like that can be completely scary. If it is a filling try to find a dentist that would let her watch or allow her to come in before the filling is done to have it explained to her and to see the machines. Then explain to her that nothing is going to happen that first time that the dentist was so sorry that she was scared he/she wanted to show her what would happen first.

I would look up the sedation IV online to see what the medical community has to say about it. If this is the only way that she can get the work done than this may be a peacefull alternative as she won't really be awake. I do wonder why they think she won't freak out to having a needle stuck in her arm and taped there. But, a cavity can cause death if not treated as the infection can spread throughout the body.

My six year old son had I.V sedation in the hospital, and it really was the best choice, I hear you about expensive his total bill was over 6,000.00 lucky for us insurance paid most of it. He really had no problems and had no memroy of it, the only thing that happened was on the way home he threw up in the car and then after that he was fine, up and playing that evening, he has a little groggy but not bad at all. I would do it again for any of my children after him, I have been lucky with me three year old, she isn't afraid and does fine with the laughing gas, I don't know how the 20 month old will do, time will tell! My husband was also freaked out about it and worried to no end until he saw him in recovery and he said a few days later he was glad we had went that route becuase our son was no worse for ware and still enjoyed the visit to the dentist (he had to go because he had to have a lot of work done). I don't know if I helped any but good luck!

My little girls were freaked too. Two of them (years ago) had to go to the hospital and be knocked out. just this month we had to change dentists and I was explaining how we had to treat them before and with my third he gave her a dose of Versed (ver-said) (i am not sure how to spell it) right there in the office. It did not knock her completly out but kinda made her drunk. It also has an amnisia effect on people. My dentist said he has had it used on himself when he had to have stuff done as well. I think it worked really well for my 8 yr. old.

Hi A., my name is S., i also have a 5 year old that has a hard time at the dentist. She has never had to have the I.V. sedation but she has had to have the oral sedation where it pretty much knocks her out. You could ask your dentist about that. They told me that she would still be awake but she would not remember anything. It does get expensive, the last sedation we had to do was almost 600 dollars out of my pocket. I have heard of the I.V. sedation my neighbor just went through it and my cousin has to take her son and im sure they will have to do it to. Sorry i cant help with the I.V. part but you could try the other. If you have any other questions my email address is ____@____.com luck S.

I am a hygienist and also own a natural healing company so I will share my thoughts with you on this matter. I know it would be difficult for me to sedate my children, however, I can tell you that the dental experience will be better for your daughter (she won't remember it) and the dentist will be able to provide quality dentistry, if there is some type of sedation involved in a challenging situation. If the child receives good care, then that can help prevent further problems in the future. I don't know the extent of the dentistry she needs to have done to tell you whether sedation is absolutely needed. There isn't any harm in checking with other pediatric dentists in your area. Also, there's a drug called Vistaril that is a relaxant. You might mention your daughter's reaction to Benadryl to the dentist to see if Vistaril would be appropriate.

There are children's books about dentistry that might help ease your daughter's fears. Also, a "happy visit" might be beneficial so you and your daughter can spend time with the dentist and not have any work done at that appt.

Good luck!

Good Morning,
We were sort of in the same boat with our 5 year old as well. For some reason (we believe it was from all the meds when she was a baby/toddler from multiple ear infections) some of of our daughters teeth just rotted. Our 9yr. old daughters teeth are perfect?? Anyhow, our ped. dentist told us she would need a ton of work and he would not do it "in office" because it tramatizes them way too much. So, we had a choice let her teeth rot or do the procedure in OR. Unfortunately our insurance did not cover the sedation or the OR. I would STRONGLY reccomend if you do this DO NOT have it done in office. You must do it in an OR. I believe the OR and the antistisiologist (sp?) was around $2k. Believe me it's WORTH saving or asking for a payment plan to do it this way. Our daughter as NOTHING but good memories of her ordeal. She thought it was pretty cool getting dressed up in her "hospital gown & slippers". She had 6 caps put on and cavities filled and her teeth cleaned all at the same time. She had a little upset tummy after the meds but that's it. FYI~ most dr. offices, hospitals will give you a "no insurance" prices and payment plans if you ask. If you have any other questions please feel free to email me. Good Luck and hope all turns out well.
S.

My 5 year old son and 9 year old daughter went through the same thing. My dentist suggested it but said maybe we should try a low dose of versed first. It is like valium but for kids. I used it with both kids. My daughter finally grew to be okay at the dentist but I still use it with my son. Most insurances should cover it but you need a prescription and your dentist can give you the prescription or call it in for you. Then you pick up the versed night before or when you can and they give it to your child in the office. But you usually need to show up 20 minutes early so it has time to work. Not all pharmacies carry it but I know the outpatient pharmacy at Alta View and Cottonwood hospitals both carry it. Hope this helps. This is taken orally and my copay was only about 20. My dentist also uses the laughing gas that just goes over their nose. Good luck!

Hi A. - It looks like you've received a lot of good advice here already. My son is 5 also and is borderline at the dentist - we figured out that the hygenist was over-explaining and the build-up made him more afraid. At our last visit, I asked her to limit her conversation and the faster she worked the better success we would have. I dread the day we have to deal with a cavity!

I'm confident you will make the best decision for your daughter given her personality and her health concerns - mommas always know best!

Also, since you are interested in alternative health methods, you might also consider helping your daughter work through her anxieties about the dentist with some of the "thought field therapy" techniques by Roger Callahan http://www.tftrx.com/callahan.html or Gary Craig http://www.emofree.com (Gary Craig learned from Callahan and his 'emotional freedom technique' aka EFT is the trauma algorithm created by Callahan)

A lot of chiropractors know these techniques as well as some counselors. It non-invasive, there are no drugs and it's easy. My chiropractor taught me how to do it and I have worked on myself and with my kids since they were babies.

If you live near Denver, I can give you some recommendations.

My oldest went through a period of time where she freaked out about the dentist, the doctor, and everything else. She just had an over-cautious personality. You don't mention what work needs to be done, but here's what we did:
-take her with us to our own dental appointments (the cleaning/check-up ones). She was scared over anything termed 'vacuum' so she had to aet used to the suction they use when cleaning. She had to see that everything they did on mom and dad was ok and didn't hurt.
-let her watch her younger brother get cleanings and have the dentist count his teeth.
-let her touch the toothbrush, squirter, and suction equipment
-hold her, in my arms, standing up, while the hygenist cleaned the front of her teeth and she could see that it didn't hurt (WOW to the office for putting up with this one!!)
-talking with her about the next appointment, reminding her everything that happens, and that is was ok
Basically, she had to see for herself that it was safe. This would not work with holding her down and forcing any procedure on her -- it would make her even more scared in the long run. So if there are cavities to be filled, or even more work, the sedation may be the best way to go. You don't want your daughter to end up being afrain of the dentist for life (I know some adults who are).
By the way, my daughter eventually got over her fear and at 9 1/2 is good for the dentist every time (though thankfully not cavities so we haven't had to deal with that). She still freaks out over new 'scary sounding' things and probably will all her life. I actually had to hold her down for a flu shot this year although last year she was ok. So you may just have to change your approach and mindset with this child. Good Luck!

I have heard of IV sedation. I had a pediatric dentist up in Layton who gave a sleep aid in liquid form a half hour before working on the child. Once the child was asleep he would work on them and they never knew what was going on. The child would then come out of sleep in your arms. The doctor and nurses would keep an on eye the child until they felt the child was ready to go home. It was great. Very kid friendly.

We just moved here, but our dentist in Arizona gave my 5 yr old a drink of juice with something in it to make him tired, but not fall asleep. Then they had a room where they could watch a movie for about a half hour while it worked, and this is while he had his fillings done. He didnt like the dentist before either, it worked great and he has never had a problem since. Our dentist now in Eagle Mountain has movie glasses while the kids get their teeth cleaned. My three year old loves him.

At her age, try finding out what it is that terrifies her.
I can say early exposure to the dentist will really prevent an ongoing situation. For some reason both of my kids LOVE the dentist and I attribute that to starting them going to the dentiest before the age of 2.
Once you find out the facts behind her fears, then maybe educating her will help. Explain and get online to show her what improper dental care can do to her teeth, her overall health.

I know I have heard of IV needed, however most Dentist can offer up a mild sedative (like kid valium) or talk to your Pediatrician about what is safe. Having her totally out of it will not help her overcome her fears and an IV may just esculate them. IF you can get her calm with the mild sedative and have her be "present" to a degree, she will soon see it is not a big deal to have your teeth cleaned.

My daughter had to have three cavaties in between her teeth sealed. I was so worried she would freak and I really sat her down and we talked about what to expect, what was going to happen. The Dentist recommended if I was really concerned to get the mild sedative, but thankfully we just didn't need it.

At the age of 5, you can find out what she is afraid of, if it is pain, you can maybe have the dentist let you have an "exam" first, pretend one, however showing her you aren't afraid and it doesn't hurt. Education on fears at their age helps a lot more then knocking them out to get something done.
In my opinion anyway.

My son was in a scooter accident in which his two front teeth were so badly damaged, that they needed to be removed. He was four years old at this time. I took him to his pediatric dentist and they gave hime a drug called "vercet". This was done in the waiting room and we waited about 15 minutes for it to kick in. It was obvious when it had, because he could hardly walk without stumbling and falling over. It was a sad sight to see. Then the doc took him back and also gave him laughing gas and began the extractions. The doc said the vercet acts as a temporary amnesia, so they don't remember the trauma. I would ask your dentist about the "vercet" before trying the iv sedation. That would make me very nervous too! I hope this helps! Good luck!
Vila S.

Hi A.!
My son was terrified of the doctor so we chose the I.V. Sedation. It was the BEST thing in the world we could have ever done for him. He is 5 1/2 now but was 4 at the time. He did just fine. When he woke up from the sedation he was a bit irritable but other than that, he was fine. He has now been to the dentist two times since and we have had nervous jitters but that was about all.
Sometimes if you child's teeth are bad enough, they can do dental work through the hospital which is usually covered by the insurance. I also had sealants put on all of his back teeth, and yes his baby teeth, just to ensure the likelihood of having to do it again was vbery low. I would love to answer any other questions you have. In understand completely the nervousness about doing it. Let me know what I can do to help. Thanks!

I've always taken my daughter to the ped dental clinic at Children's Hospital. She had to have a cavity filled and just totally freaked out during the cleaning when they found the cavity. So we set up an appointment for her to have the cavity filled. I was freaked out about it but it went very well. They had her drink a TINY amount of Versed. It took maybe 15 minutes for it to kick in. It made her seem drunk. It relaxed her so they could do the work. They had an anesthesiologist in the room the whole time monitoring her pulse and blood pressure. Then we waited for about an hour after the procedure to make sure she could walk by herself. She also had to eat a popsicle to make sure she wouldn't vomit. You also have to have someone else with you so they can ride in the back with them on the way home to make sure everything is okay. You'll also have to monitor them the entire day until the Versed completely wears off. All in all it was a good experience and I will only take her to that clinic. My insurance did not pay for the sedation but they will set up payments if you need to. It cost roughly $230.00 out of pocket. Hope this helps!! Good luck!

My 4 year old was sedated for dental work in February. He wouldn't even let them look in his mouth to count his teeth. We tried 3 or 4 different dentists before finding one that we all liked, and that could work with my son. But he still had to be sedated, he is too much of a fighter. I was a little worried because sedation is always scary. On the other hand he had a bad ooth that was rotting away. Itwas the only way we could fix the problem. They did it in a hospital, with people who know how sedation works and kew how to use it. It was a verysaf environment. We trusted the dentist and the hospital. That is very important, make sure you trust them. It should be okay. In the long run, this way is actually less traumatizing. Yeah, they get sedated, but to do it any other way would mean they would probably be awake. Which means that they would see and hear everything. That equipment is scary to adults, imagine what it does to a chid. The sedation helps relieve any pain for most of the day. And all they remember is that someone stuck a needle in them. The staff was very nice to my son. They even let him bring in his blanket and pillow. They gave him a stuffed animal, a pinwheel, and a cool cup with a moose on it. He had almost no clue what had happened. The only reason he knew something happened to his teeth was because we told him for days that the dentist was going to fix the owies on his teeth. He had so uch fun with the staff that now he asks to see the dentist. It is important to keep in mind what is best for her is what is most important. The dentist wasn't even there when they sedated him, so he has no clue that they were even related. I know it is scary, but it might be the only way to fix her teeth. Have faith, make sure you trust them, and everything should be okay.

Did you check with your insurance? Our dental didn't cover the sedation, but our medical did. Make sure you've checked with both. Our dentaldid almost nothing, but our medical did alot.

Good luck.

My neice and my neighbors little boy both had to be put under to do their dental work. My neice because her cavities were so severe, and that she freaks out, the dentist and my sister and bro-in-law felt it would be the best. She did just fine and didn't remember anything that had happened. When she woke up, my neice said "I told you I wasn't going to the dentist." Everyone laughed. As for my neighbor, I am not sure why he had the IV but other than being groggy from the medication, there were no adverse side effects or anything like that. If you have questions, do not hesitate to ask the dentist. He/She should be happy to address your concerns about it and provide you some reassurance.

You want to limit putting your child "under." If it is not neccessary, I would avoid it. I would find a dentist who will take the time to gain the trust of your daughter. Your daughter is scared and the dentist is doing nothing to alleviate her fear. There are dentists our there who are skilld at working with children. I'm still searching for a fit for our family. Perhaps the group can recommend a good dentist.

We had the same issue and didn't want to put him under so we
found a new dentist who ended up being wonderful. You may
want to talk to your pediatrian- I was also told they
could prescribe something that would calm your child down.
Good Luck!

My suggestion would be to keep shopping pediatric dentists. Your daughter may just need someone with the "right touch" to make her feel safe. My son had similar issues and it took about three trips until we could get him to let them check his teeth. I had to let him see me get my teeth checked and then after that he has been fine.

You might also consult with a child psychologist to see if they have suggestions to help her cope with her fear.

In a pinch you may have to decide if it is worth the risk of a general anesthetic vs risk of cavities.

A.,
My son who is 14 was a preemie born at 25 weeks. He has been afraid of everything and everyone his whole life. He needed quite a bit of dental work done before getting braces last year and wouldn't cooperate with a regular dentist. (I used to be a dental assistant so I tried explaining everything to him so he wouldn't think it was a big deal.)I ended up taking him to a pedadontist who had an anesthesiologist put him under. Now, he sees the orthodontist every month and his anxiety is gone. I hope forever! My son has had to go under for all his dental work except cleanings since he was 4. Good luck, and I'm extremely jealous of your profession. I love anything alternative!

Hi A.,
I will second the advice from someone else that you look into EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) for your daughter. It can be amazingly effective for clearing fears and phobias. It is completely noninvasive, drug-free, and has no side-effects. I teach intro classes on EFT in Fort Collins. If you live anywhere nearby I'd love to see if EFT might help your daughter (no charge). I use it with my kids all the time. Please contact me if you're interested.
I don't have any experience with sedation, so I can't offer any advice there. It sounds like there are several options available to you. Good luck!

try another pediatric dentist...(please make sure they are pediatric dentist and not just a family dentist or general dentist) How much work does she need done? and maybe a good pediatric dentist would just try to win her confidence first with something simple and then maybe work their way up to some of the bigger issues. I know that my brother in law has used Childrens Hospital for my nephew who is severly autistic ###-###-####..There is also a new pediatric dentist coming 6/1 at Smoky Hill & E470 ###-###-####

Have you talked with your kids regular DR about it. My son had to have lots fo dental work and it was really hard. After we finally got it all done in four different appts. we heard about kids that go to an oral surgeon and have it all done at once. My cousin's daughter did it that way and all is well. After what we went through I would say try and get it all done at one time. Also we went to a pediatric dentist when we found out about all that he needed to have done. That dentist move shortly after so we took our son back to the family dentist and all is well. He doesn't relate all the trouble with the family dentist. He is 8 now and this was a really good lesson for getting him to brush his teeth good. Good Luck.

I am a dental hygienist. How much dental work does your daughter need done? There are some other medications that they could give her besides IV sedation before she gets there. Benadryl does sometimes have the opposite effect. If you daughter needs lots of dental work done such as pulpotomies and crowns you might need to just let them sedate her. What got her so scared in the first place. Find a dentist who will visit with her first and gain her respect before doing other work. It sounds like she needs to go visit an office and them not do anything but get to know her. I wish I was there to help in person, because I was always good at calming little ones down.

Wow-sedation seems very extreme. Have you tried Bach flower essences, such as rescue remedy, or a blend of the fear remedies, like Mimulus and Aspen? Perhaps energy work? Being newly divorced, money many be tight, but hopefully you have friends who do energy work and would be willing to work on her. Deeksha (Oneness Blessing) is immensely healing energy work; often payments are based on ability to pay. I've received much deeksha myself and can attest to its healing ability. Check www.onenessmovement.org to find a facilitator in your area. I actually went to India myself and became a deeksha facilitator because it is so transformative, but for reasons I won't go into right now, am unable to give to others for the time being, otherwise I'd send to your daughter myself. Very best of luck!

A.,
I would like to give you advice from 2 differant points of view. As a small child my mother put me to be with a bottle of apple juice. This caused my teeth to rot, and by the time I was 3 I had to have my entire mouth overhauled. Back then, there was no such thing as IV sedation or even putting a child under for dental work. Rather I was strapped onto a board, and a nurse held my head. Although this exprience is over 25 years old, I still remember the terror and not understanding what was happening to me.
In my early twenties I went to dental assisting school and worked as a dental assistance. As part of my clinicals I worked with several differant denstists. One specialized in pediatrics, and did 90% of the work in a surgery center. We were able to do massive amounts of work in a short period of time, and the child just peacefully slept through it. Other dentists still did as mine had done, and strapped a child to a papouse board, used bite blocks and just worked as quickly as possible.
Given my expriences, if my child ever needed extensive dental work, I would in a heartbeat opt to have the child put under for the work. This is much less tramatic for the child, and the staff is able to work efficeintly, providing the best quality in care, rather than just hurridly getting it done so the screaming will stop. I know there are risks associated with any surgery, but if it was my own child, the risks would be worth my child not having to live through what I did. Also, I out grew my fear of dentists, and actually went to work in the field for several years. So, I hope this helps, and hopefully your daughter will out grow her fears as well. Until then, you may also want to practice with her at home, talking about what happens a the dentist, counting her teeth yoru self, and reading her books or watching videos on going to the dentist. good luck!