Three Reasons To Consider Sleep Dentistry For Anxious Children

28 October 2020
 Categories: Dentist, Blog


The Royal Children's Hospital National Child Health Poll on dental habits discovered that 31% of preschoolers have yet to visit a dentist. This is not a good statistic as children must see a dentist regularly from the age of one. There are several reasons why parents do not take their child to the dentist and one of these is anxiety. However, bad dental habits started in childhood carry through to adulthood and this means major future dental problems. As the parent of an anxious child, here are three reasons why sleep dentistry is a positive option for your child's dental needs.

Injury Reduction

Anxious children fidget and move when in a dentist chair which makes it difficult for dentists to do their job. A child who inadvertently moves their head at the wrong time could become injured by the dental tools being used. A sleep dentist has several relaxation choices open to them and these include an oral sedative. The child drinks the sedative just before the appointment commences. It allows the child to be fully awake but they no longer feel fear or anxiety. In this relaxed state, dental tasks are completed while your child happily sits without moving.

Anxiety Dental Problems

Children who suffer from anxiety also have dental issues related to this medical issue. For example, when a child is anxious they often grind their teeth. Left unchecked, teeth grinding leads to tooth enamel which chips or cracks. These are both serious problems for long-term tooth health. To combat dental issues in anxious children it is vital that annual dental checkups are done. Of course, a dental checkup brings more anxiety for the child which is where a sleep dentist is of assistance. The dentist uses sedation options to relax your child so the critical checks are done. 

Future Dental Care

Bad dental habits which occur in childhood are carried through to adult teeth. This is problematic because dental issues in adult teeth are permanent. They are also expensive to fix. By taking your anxious child to a sleep dentist, you are encouraging your child to accept the necessity of regular dental visits. This means that as they grow older they will continue to see their dentist annually and this means less dental issues.

Sleep dentistry does not only involve an unconscious child during the dental visit. Sedation tonic and nitrous oxide gas are other options sleep dentists have at their disposal. Give your local sleep dentist a call to see how they can help you get your anxious child's dental needs back up to date.


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