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Brightside Children's dentistry

Sedation for children,
as a last option.

Available where a child genuinely cannot manage treatment awake. It is not the first thing we reach for, and for most children it never comes up.

Call (778) 754-4488 Hours and location

What it is

We try everything else first.

Going slowly, letting them stop with a raised hand, splitting work across short visits and simply doing the easiest tooth first will get most children through what they need. Sedation is for the cases where that is not enough, or where the amount of treatment needed would mean many difficult appointments.

  • Previous appointments have ended without treatment
  • A very strong gag reflex
  • Significant treatment needed in one go
  • A past dental experience went badly
  • A medical or developmental reason makes sitting still hard
  • Your child asks not to be aware of it

What the visit is like

How it is decided and arranged.

  1. A conversation without your child in the room, if that helpsTheir full medical history, medications, and an honest account of what has happened at previous appointments.
  2. The lightest option that will workDeeper is not better. Where going slowly would get there, we do that instead.
  3. Written instructions beforehandEating and drinking, which medications to give as normal, and who is bringing and collecting them. Both parents are welcome.
  4. Monitored throughout, and a call afterwardsSomeone watches them for the whole appointment, and we check in after.

Cost and coverage

You should never be surprised by a bill.

Every plan arrives with the fee beside each line and the insurance estimate beside that, before you agree to anything. We submit to your plan directly where it allows it, and we are set up for the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Fees for this are quoted in writing after an exam, per tooth and per surface. Nobody can price it accurately from a website or over the phone.

Common questions

Asked on the phone most weeks.

Will my child be unconscious?
No. Sedation used here is not a general anaesthetic. They stay able to respond and the appointment can stop at any point. Most children simply remember little of it.
Is it safe?
It is used routinely, and the safety of it rests on a full medical history and the right choice of option, which is why the conversation beforehand is not a formality. Where a child would be better treated in hospital under general anaesthetic, we will say so and refer.
Will they need someone with them afterwards?
Yes. They will be drowsy and need collecting and supervising for the rest of the day. We will tell you exactly what to expect when the appointment is booked.

Booking

Say what it is when you call.

If it is pain, say that -- it changes how the day gets arranged. If it is a checkup for three people, say that too and we will try to put you in one morning.

Also at Brightside

Call (778) 754-4488 Hours and location