Sleepy 4 Kids
AIC - assisted general anesthesia
Sleepy 4 Kids
Children who experience painful dental treatments from an early age are more likely to develop dental anxiety. This is why, in some cases, dentists resort to local anesthesia or AIC – assisted general anesthesia, as appropriate.
The simplest, safest and most effective method is to use local anesthesia. This involves the direct application of some substances that inhibit pain receptors, that act directly on the receptors and nerve endings, the effect being to alleviate until the complete disappearance of pain.
The dentist will use local anesthesia only when needed and depending on the complexity of the treatment performed.
-
Topical / Local
– It is made with gel-like substances, with a pleasant taste, appreciated by children. It is applied directly on the mucosa, on the surface and has the role of numbing the area for easy interventions or to prepare it for the administration of injectable anesthesia.
-
Local Injectable (by infiltration)
– Is performed by injecting the anesthetic substance in the area of a tooth, on which the intervention is performed.
The most commonly used method to reduce pain and increase child comfort is digitally assisted anesthesia – DentaPen.
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, there is a certain category of the population that cannot tolerate routine dental treatments and for which general anesthesia is needed.
In pediatric dentistry, general anesthesia is indicated for the following types of patients:
- Pre-cooperators (children too young to receive extended / extended dental treatment)
- Children with special needs (physical / neurological) or maxillofacial abnormalities
- Children with major / extensive dental problems who would require an increased number of treatment sessions
- Children with a high degree of anxiety about the dentist or the office environment (instruments, etc.)
- It has immediate effect, and the child is constantly monitored by an AIC specialist
- It allows to resolve all severe dental problems of the child in a single treatment session (2-3 hours)
- The child will remember absolutely nothing of the experience that might otherwise have frightened him
- Prevents the development of carious processes and their complication, preventing the occurrence of local infections that can spread throughout the body.
Are certain tests and investigations performed before anesthesia?
- Before general anesthesia, each patient is evaluated and subjected to a series of investigations and medical tests, which can prove that he can benefit from dental treatment under anesthesia
- All tests are recommended by the anesthesiologist and pediatric dentist
- Parents fill in a form regarding the child’s medical history
How long does the intervention take and how is it done?
- The interventions may vary between 60 – 200 minutes, depending on the complexity of the case
- If the treatment includes more extractions and fewer restorations, the duration of the intervention is shorter
- General anesthesia is always performed by intubation, so that all vital signs of the child are continuously monitored
- The anesthesiologist is present throughout the operation
What happens after the anesthesia treatment?
- After the operation, the child is transferred to the recovery room and is monitored until the effect of the anesthesia completely disappears.
General anesthesia is the last step of treatment, when all the other stages did not work: the child does not cooperate with the doctor, even in the case of inhalosedations, psychological counseling was not a solution or the child’s health is put in danger of delaying dental treatments.
