The A-B-C’s of a fear-free dental visit: A guide to relaxing and pain-relieving medications

Often, dental anxiety or fear can result in individuals avoiding the dentist at all costs, no matter how much their teeth hurt or how embarrassed they feel about loose, misshapen, and visibly damaged teeth. This anxiety and fear are also frequently rooted in childhood negative experiences at other dentist’s offices. Mona Dental for Kids provides the antidote to this fear: sedation and anesthesia. 

Difference between sedation and anesthesia 

Dr. Mona Houshiar and the gentle and talented team in Spring, Texas, consider it a great privilege and responsibility to support a welcoming and warm environment. Parents and children alike trust us and even look forward to catching up with us during the routine visits essential to oral and systemic health and a good quality of life and well-being.

We also have some “helpers” in the form of safe and predictable relaxing and pain-relieving medications. However, sedation dentistry and related services are confusing as sedatives are often used interchangeably with other medications and products available at the dentist’s office. 

Here, we have provided a quick primer on the differences between the vast array of solutions to complement our incredible team’s skill and warmth: 

• Anesthesia is a broad term that describes a loss of sensitivity to pain, which is brought about by the administration of a particular medication that is tailored to your child’s needs
• Anesthetic refers to the “numbing” effects of localized injections that are applied to gently and precisely block pain. This is but one element of anesthesia. Communication between the nerves and the pain receptors of the Central Nervous System is blocked to support a comfortable, fear-free treatment and service
• Sedation, here again, is but one component of anesthesia. A sedative is a medication that is administered to calm the anxiety center in the brain, effectively relaxing the mind and body. The effect may be mild, inducing a state of total relaxation while keeping your child awake, or it may go deeper – potentially letting them doze off during their procedure 
• With general anesthesia, your child goes “fully under,” as a medically-induced loss of consciousness

At Mona Dental for Kids, we offer oral conscious sedation (liquid taken by mouth), as well as “laughing gas” (nitrous oxide), IV sedation, general anesthesia, and the use of local anesthetic for pain. All of our options are administered and monitored to the highest safety standards. 

We appreciate you may have many questions, and we look forward to hearing from you. Call Mona Dental for Kids in Spring, TX, at (832) 662-3008 today.

Mona Houshiar, DDS

Dr. Mona Houshiar is a highly skilled pediatric dentist with over 15 years of experience dedicated to preventing dental issues and promoting lifelong oral health. She earned her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from UCLA and completed residencies at the VA West Los Angeles Healthcare Center and the University of Connecticut. As a trusted member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association, Dr. Houshiar stays current on the latest advancements in pediatric dentistry. Her compassionate, evidence-based approach fosters trust and comfort, both in her practice and through her community service for underserved children.

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