What is pediatric sedation dentistry?
Some children need more dental work than they can comfortably sit through in a regular dental chair. Others are very young, very anxious, have a strong gag reflex, or have special health care needs. For these children, treatment under deep sedation or general anesthesia lets the dentist complete every filling, crown, and extraction in one appointment while the child is asleep and comfortable.
At littleGRINS, treatment always takes place in a hospital or accredited surgical center, never in a dental office. Anesthesia is provided by board-certified medical anesthesiologists with extensive experience in pediatric dental cases, and your child goes home the same day.
Who is a good candidate?
- Children with several cavities or extensive decay that would take many office visits
- Young children who are not yet able to cooperate for treatment
- Children with dental anxiety or a past difficult experience
- Children with special health care needs, sensory sensitivities, or a strong gag reflex
- Children for whom local anesthetic alone has not been enough
Your pediatric dentist will review your child's health history and X-rays and talk through whether sedation is the right choice.
What happens on treatment day
You'll check in at the facility, meet the anesthesiologist and dental team, and stay with your child until they fall asleep. The dentist completes the full treatment plan in one session. Afterward, your child wakes up in recovery with you nearby, you receive full post-op instructions, and most children are ready to go home within about 30 minutes.
See our before and after surgery guide for fasting rules and what's normal during recovery.
Treatments we complete under sedation
Common procedures include white zirconia crowns, stainless steel crowns, tooth-colored fillings, baby tooth root canals, space maintainers, and extractions.
Where we provide sedation dentistry
littleGRINS pediatric dentists provide sedation dentistry under sedation at EMU Health in Glendale / Ridgewood, Queens, South Brooklyn Health in Coney Island, Brooklyn, Queens Surgical Center in Flushing, Queens, and Advanced Surgery Center in Pearl River, Rockland County. Families come to us from across New York City and Rockland County.
Medically reviewed by the littleGRINS pediatric dental team. This page is general information and does not replace an exam.