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 though 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.
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
- Fear of needles and shots
- Trouble getting numb
- Sensitive teeth
The two most common types of sedation dentistry are:
- Oral Conscious Sedation
- Inhalation Sedation
Oral Conscious Sedation
Through this type of sedation your child will experience very deep relaxation while still being conscious. Dr. Thomas uses oral medications that are easy to swallow, safe, and low cost. Children are usually given a liquid medication like Versed (Midazolam). When the medication takes effect, your child will be able to speak and respond to external requests, but should have a much lower level of anxiety about the dental care they are receiving.
Inhalation Sedation
Inhalation sedation uses Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen (laughing gas) to help your child's body achieve a relaxed state. This is the most popular form of sedation used in dentistry today. It may be used alone or in combination with oral sedative medications.
General Anesthesia
Dr. Thomas's office complies with all state regulations with every type of treatment provided in our office, including sedation dentistry. Dr. Thomas is a specialist in pediatric dentistry and received training specifically in oral sedation as part of his residency program at Children's Mercy Hospital. He maintains his position on staff at Children's Mercy and utilizes their facility to provide general anesthesia to his patients with special needs, those patients requiring an extensive amount of dental care and/or severe situational anxiety.
Special Anesthesia Services Charges
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.
Types of Payment Accepted
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).