During his whole career of 25 years, Dr. Sarkissian has been involved in sedation dentistry mostly for children, particularly those suffering from autism, or those between the ages of 2-6 who need so much work on their teeth that it would be impossible to perform unless they were still for a longer period of time. Sedation in those cases also alleviates the trauma from repeated sessions and anesthetic shots.
He has always made sure to employ the services of a highly skilled and trained dentist-child anesthesiologist. Today we use Dr. Salman Hussain, DMD, a visiting anesthesiologist specializing in children, who is also available for adults if needed. His monitoring techniques are flawless, and over his 7 years of service, we have never had any adverse reactions to the procedure.
Sedation dentistry is also the perfect solution for those avoiding the dentist out of fear. Sedation medications have an amnesic effect, making a process that takes hours feel like minutes. Recovery is quick, and we augment healing and recovery with special homeopathic detox remedies!
If you feel a bit of envy toward a child who simply sleeps through dental procedures, you might ask yourself whether sedation dentistry could be right for you as an adult.
By answering the following 4 True/False questions about your life and attitudes toward the dentist, we can help you determine whether you are a good candidate for sedation dentistry. Please note that this assessment tool is not a replacement for a consultation.
- The idea of multiple dentist visits overwhelms me.
- I am scared, even terrified, to pick up the phone to schedule a dentist appointment.
- I have trouble with gagging or getting numb at the dentist.
- Even though I feel pain when I eat, I am delaying dental treatment.
If you answered ‘True’ to at least one of the above questions, please don’t procrastinate any longer and call us right away so we can schedule an appointment and talk with you about the possibility of sedation dentistry.
The main reason for IV sedation for our young patients who suffer from ECC (Early Childhood Caries) is the need to treat multiple and very deep cavities. As a principle, Dr. Sarkissian restores all teeth with composite bonding, never stainless steel crowns or mercury amalgams. Cosmetically, once we are done, the child will brandish white, lifelike teeth as if nothing were done. Even if this work takes hours, hardly any time has passed for our young patient. He or she wakes from a slumber, and it’s all over. To learn more about ECC, please read the article Early Childhood Caries.
Pulpotomies are a very common procedure for deep cavities in children. In a series of Dr. Sarkissian’s own illustrations, he demonstrates what it is and how it is treated:
Laser Pulpotomy – Illustrations of a Baby Root Canal.
Before we proceed with dental treatment under sedation, we will thoroughly brief you on all aspects, and you can also find more information on Dr. Hussain’s website about his services and requirements.
Lastly, here is a video showcasing a child anesthesia we recently performed. Many thanks to the parents who agreed to feature their son’s case to help other parents make an informed decision…