If your child has extreme difficulty receiving dental treatment, our pediatric dentist may recommend in-office general anesthesia. General anesthesia induces sleep, making it easy for our pediatric dentist and team to provide your child with necessary dental care.

General anesthetics are usually administered through inhalation or an injection into your child’s hand or arm. We may also use a long-lasting local anesthetic during the procedure so that your child will wake up feeling numb after treatment and remain comfortable after the general anesthetic wears off.

Our pediatric dentist may recommend general anesthesia when:

• Your child cannot relax or calm down enough to receive treatment safely
• Oral surgery or other treatment is difficult to provide when your child is awake
• Your child needs extensive dental work performed in a single visit
• Your child has special needs or a disability that limits their ability to understand or comply with directions to safely receive treatment

You will be provided with detailed instructions about what your child should eat and drink before and after their procedure, as well as instructions on post-operative care following treatment. Please follow these instructions as closely as possible.

If you have any questions about general anesthesia for your child, please contact our office.