Parents have common questions about pediatric dental sedation before their child's appointment—and they should. Understanding sedation dentistry helps you make informed decisions for your child's dental care and your child's safety. Below you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about pediatric dental sedation at Pediatric Sedation Center of Georgia, your sedation dental center in Atlanta.
For comprehensive information about our pediatric sedation services, visit our pediatric dental sedation page.
For detailed safety information, see Is Pediatric Dental Sedation Safe?
Pediatric dental sedation uses sedative medication to help children stay calm, comfortable, and still during dental procedures. Your child sleeps through dental treatment and typically has no memory of the dental work afterward. This type of sedation allows our pediatric dentist to complete extensive dental care in a single appointment rather than multiple stressful dental visits.
Sedation dentistry is especially helpful for children with dental anxiety, children with special needs, very young children, and those who need significant dental treatment. The sedative is administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist who monitors your child throughout the entire dental procedure. Unlike conscious sedation where children remain partially aware, deeper sedation ensures your child sleeps comfortably through all dental work. Learn more about pediatric dental sedation →
Yes, pediatric dental sedation is safe for children when performed by qualified professionals using proper monitoring and established protocols. At Pediatric Sedation Center of Georgia, a board-certified anesthesiologist is present for every sedation procedure—not a dentist with weekend sedation training, but a medical doctor who completed years of specialized training in pediatric dental anesthesia and sedation medicine.
We follow guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and American Academy of Pediatrics for pediatric sedation. Throughout the procedure, your child's heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, temperature, and breathing are monitored continuously. Emergency equipment and rescue medications are always ready. We review your child's medical history carefully to ensure sedation is appropriate and safe for your child's health. Read about our safety protocols →
Several types of sedation are available for your child's dental care, ranging from minimal sedation to deep sedation and general anesthesia:
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) provides minimal sedation—children stay awake but feel relaxed during dental procedures. It's appropriate for mild dental anxiety and minor dental work, typically offered at general pediatric dentistry offices. The effects wear off within minutes after the dental procedure.
Oral sedation uses sedative medication given by mouth to create moderate sedation. Children become drowsy but may still be partially aware during the dental procedure. Oral conscious sedation is less predictable than other sedation methods because absorption varies between pediatric patients.
IV sedation is administered through a small needle in your child's arm, allowing our anesthesiologist precise control over the level of sedation throughout dental treatment. Children under IV sedation fall asleep quickly and wake with no memory of the procedure. This is the most common type of sedation at our dental center.
General anesthesia produces complete unconsciousness and is used for extensive dental procedures or children with complex medical needs. Hospital-based general anesthesia in a hospital operating room is recommended when additional medical resources should be immediately available for your child's dental treatment.
At our sedation center, we specialize in IV sedation and hospital sedation for children who need more than nitrous oxide or oral sedation can provide. Learn about our sedation options →
The right type of sedation depends on your child's age, your child's medical history, anxiety level, and dental treatment needs. During your consultation, our pediatric dentist and anesthesiologist review your child's health history, discuss your concerns about sedation, and recommend the most appropriate sedation method based on your child's specific situation.
Children with severe dental anxiety, extensive dental needs, special needs like autism or sensory disorders, or very young children who cannot cooperate typically benefit from IV sedation. Children with certain medical conditions may be safer with hospital-based sedation where additional resources are available. We never recommend more sedation than necessary—but we ensure your child gets the level of sedation needed for safe, effective pediatric dental care.
We accept all Georgia Medicaid plans and PPO dental insurance plans for pediatric dental sedation. Coverage for sedation dentistry varies by plan—some medical insurance and dental insurance covers sedation fully when medically necessary, others cover it partially, and some plans don't cover dental sedation at all.
Our team verifies your insurance benefits before treatment so you understand your costs for your child's dental care. If you have concerns about sedation costs, contact us and we'll help you navigate your options and make informed decisions for your child's dental treatment.
Most pediatric sedation appointments last 1-3 hours, depending on how much dental treatment your child needs. Simple dental procedures take less time; children needing multiple crowns, extractions, or other extensive dental work require longer appointments at our dental office.
We'll give you a specific estimate after your consultation when we know the full dental treatment plan. Plan to be at our dental center for the entire duration—you'll wait in our comfortable waiting area while our staff provides updates on your child's dental procedure throughout the appointment.
Proper preparation is critical for safe dental sedation. Follow the instructions provided carefully to ensure your child's safety prior to the procedure.
The most important rule: nothing to eat or drink after 11pm the night before the procedure. This fasting requirement exists to prevent complications during sedation—an empty stomach is essential for sedation for your child.
Additional preparation steps:
We provide detailed preparation instructions during your consultation. Following these guidelines ensures your child's sedation appointment goes smoothly. For complete information, see our Preparing for Sedation page.
When you arrive at our dental office, our staff reviews your child's medical history one more time and confirms when your child last ate or drank. Your child spends time in our kid-friendly pre-op area before moving to the sedation suite.
Once in the sedation suite, the anesthesiologist administers the sedative through an IV line. Your child falls asleep quickly. Throughout the procedure, the anesthesiologist monitors your child's vital signs continuously while our pediatric dentist completes the dental treatment. Our dental team works efficiently to address all of your child's dental needs while they sleep comfortably.
Parents wait in our dedicated waiting area during the procedure. Our staff keeps you updated so you know what's happening with your child's dental care. When dental treatment is complete and your child begins waking up, you join them in recovery immediately.
Parents wait in our dedicated waiting area during their child's dental sedation—you cannot be present in the sedation suite during the dental procedure. We understand this is difficult for parents who want to be with their child.
This policy exists because our dental team and anesthesiologist need to focus entirely on your child without distractions. The sedation environment must remain calm and controlled for your child's safety. Our staff keeps you updated throughout the dental procedure so you always know what's happening. The moment your child moves to recovery and begins waking up, you'll join them.
Contact our dental office as soon as possible if your child becomes ill before their sedation appointment. Depending on symptoms, we may need to reschedule the dental procedure. A cold, fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or respiratory symptoms can affect how your child responds to sedation and may make the procedure less safe for your child's health.
It's always better to wait until your child is healthy before proceeding with dental sedation. We won't charge you for rescheduling due to illness—your child's safety is our top priority at our pediatric dental sedation center.
Contact us immediately. Eating or drinking before sedation is a serious safety concern—food or liquid in the stomach increases the risk of aspiration during the dental procedure. We will need to reschedule your child's dental treatment. There are no exceptions to this rule. Your child's safety depends on following the fasting instructions provided by our dental office.
After dental sedation, your child will be groggy and may be emotional or unsteady for several hours as the sedative wears off. Follow these aftercare instructions to ensure your child's health and safety:
Most children feel completely normal by the next morning and can return to their regular routine including school and daycare. If your child seems unusually tired, unsteady, or unwell the day after dental sedation, keep them home and contact our dental office.
Most children have no memory of their dental treatment after sedation. This is one of the key benefits of sedation dentistry—your child won't carry anxiety or fear from the dental work into future dental visits. They fall asleep, wake up with their dental problems fixed, and that's their entire experience.
For children with dental anxiety or previous negative experiences visiting the dentist or going to the dentist, this memory-free experience can transform their relationship with dental care going forward. Future dental visits become easier because your child doesn't associate your child's dentist with fear or discomfort from their dental procedure.
The timing for repeat sedation depends on your child's health, your child's medical history, and what dental treatment is needed. In most cases, children can safely undergo dental sedation again after a few weeks if necessary. Our anesthesiologist evaluates each child individually based on your child's specific circumstances to ensure sedation remains safe.
If your child needs additional dental work after their initial sedation appointment, we'll discuss appropriate timing during your follow-up visit at our dental center.
For some children, alternatives to deeper sedation exist:
Nitrous oxide at a general pediatric dentist works well for children with mild dental anxiety and minor dental procedures. Children stay awake but relaxed during their dental visit.
Behavioral techniques help some children cooperate for dental treatment without any sedation. This works best for older children with minimal anxiety and simple dental needs who can follow instructions from the dentist to complete treatment.
Oral sedation provides moderate sedation and may be appropriate for some children, though it's less predictable than IV sedation for pediatric dental procedures.
However, every child is different, and many children we see at our pediatric dental sedation center have already tried these alternatives without success. If your child has severe dental anxiety, extensive dental treatment needs, special needs, or is too young to cooperate, sedation dentistry at our specialized sedation center is often the safest and most effective path to the pediatric dental care your child needs.
If you're considering sedation at any dental office—ours or another—ask your dentist these important questions about sedation:
At Pediatric Sedation Center of Georgia, we welcome these questions. Informed parents make the best decisions for their child's dental health.
Call us at 470-395-2524. Our team is happy to answer common questions about pediatric dental sedation, your child's dental care, or what to expect at our sedation center. Contact us to schedule a consultation—we'll review your child's needs, address your concerns about sedation, and help you make informed decisions for your child's dental health and your child's safety.
Pediatric Sedation Center of Georgia
8180 Mall Parkway, Suite 810
Stonecrest, GA 30038
