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Question:
My son is 3 years old, he needs his front tooth taken out and he needs 2 fillings. He weighs about 38 lbs. His dentist wants to give him an oral sedative, but the cost is very high and insurance will not cover it. If my son does not take the entire sedative at one time we will have to reschedule and pay for the sedative all over again!
This is a huge cost and we don't have a lot of money to spare. Is it normal practice to to give an oral sedative? My dentist says it is perfectly normal, but at $200.00 per dose, I really want a second and unbiased opinion. ...Jennifer
Answer:
Jennifer, thank you for the question. Yes, it is very normal to use sedatives in
a pediatric dental office. I probably use the same medicine. I use Versed, which is a very safe sedative that is in the same class as a valium. I understand that the cost is very expensive.
You do have a couple of different options. The first is to have your son use only nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and to have him in a papoose. (this is a restraint) I personally do not like to use this if I do not have too. I will utilize this when my patients are sedated because the Versed gives them an amnesiac effect so they do not remember anything. The other option is to have the procedure done in the operating room. I would see if the treatment can be done in one appointment so if you decide to do the treatment under sedation, you can do it all at once.
Editorial Staff
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