Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry provides safe, comfortable dental treatment for patients with extreme anxiety about dental treatment. Sometimes called relaxation dentistry, sedation dentistry is a method of managing pain and anxiety during professional dental care through the use of medication. Pediatric Dentists spend a large part of their training learning specifically how to manage patients safely under sedation and general anesthesia.

Our office complies with all state regulations with every type of treatment provided in our office, including sedation dentistry. Dr. Thomas is a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist and received specific training in this area during his residency at Children’s Mercy Hospital, he is also certified in Pediatric Advanced Life Support. Your child can benefit from sedation dentistry if they experience one of more of the following:

• High fear of dental care
• Complex dental problems
• Traumatic dental experiences
• Trouble getting numb

Inhalation sedation is the mildest form of sedation. This method utilizes Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) and Oxygen to help your child’s body achieve a relaxed state. Your child remains awake and aware but is more inclined to relax. This form of sedation is referred to as anxiolytic sedation and is not meant to overcome severe anxiety. This is a very safe way of giving your child a pleasant dental experience and is the most popular form of sedation used in dentistry today.

Oral sedation is a technique in which the dentist gives your child an oral medication to sedate or relax your child. Because the medication is given orally it is difficult to predict the level of relaxation your child may reach. It can range from a mild sedation similar to levels reached with nitrous oxide or a deeper form of sedation and thus may differ for each patient so not all patients may reach an adequate level of sedation to accomplish the restorative care they may need. Because the medication is given orally the dosage cannot be changed once it is given. If the patient does reach an adequate level of sedation to successfully perform a complex dental procedure the patient will require close monitoring. Though the state allows a dentist to orally sedate a child, monitor that child, and perform the dentistry at the same time; Dr. Thomas feels it is best to have a separate Doctor whose sole purpose and attention is devoted to monitoring your child during the procedure. The cost of providing this service is worth the extra safety it provides your child.

As member of the Medical Staff at Children’s Mercy Hospital Dr. Thomas utilizes their facility to provide general anesthesia to his patients with special needs. For those patients that require an extensive amount of dental care or exhibit severe situational anxiety, we have partnered with Board Certified Anesthesiologist’s from Mobile Anesthesia Care (MAC) to provide general anesthesia directly in the dental office. This service allows Dr. Thomas to concentrate specifically on the dental care your child may need. To read more about the Doctors at Mobile Anesthesia Care Click on the following link.

Some charges will be covered by insurance. Many times, medical insurance will pay the anesthesia charges for children under the age of six, patients with a mental or physical handicap, or patients with a medical necessity. We participate with many of the most popular insurance plans and will work with your insurance company and you to provide your child with care. We can do a predetermination with your insurance company to find out if your policy provides coverage for our services.

Other insurance plans will do predeterminations, but we don’t do these through our office. Our staff will be glad to assist you with the information you’ll need when contacting your insurance company to determine if you’re child will be covered. You can usually accomplish the predetermination over the phone, but we suggest you have your insurance company send you a letter of confirmation.

We do expect advance payment as a deposit before the day of service. Payment in full for all deductibles and co-payments, as well as payment in full for all other insurances or those without insurance coverage is expected the day of service.

We accept cash, personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, traveler’s checks, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Additionally, we offer a payment plan from Care Credit. See www.carecredit.com or call our office for details. For more information please contact our office at 816-781-5437(KIDS).