For some children, a routine dental visit is anything but routine. Fear, anxiety, sensory sensitivities, a strong gag reflex, or simply being very young can make sitting still for dental treatment difficult, sometimes impossible. When that is your child’s reality, sedation dentistry is not a last resort. It is a thoughtful, compassionate tool that makes safe, effective dental care possible.
At Lion’s Tooth Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, we offer multiple sedation options tailored to each child’s needs, age, and the type of treatment required. Every sedation decision is made in close collaboration with your family, with your child’s safety and comfort guiding everything.
Nitrous oxide, often called laughing gas, is our most commonly used anxiety-reducing option and is appropriate for a wide range of patients. It is administered through a small, comfortable mask worn over the nose and takes effect within minutes. Children remain awake and aware but feel relaxed, calm, and at ease throughout their appointment.
Nitrous oxide is safe, well tolerated by most children, and wears off quickly after the mask is removed. Most children are completely back to normal before they even leave the office, which means no recovery time and no disruption to the rest of their day.
It is an excellent option for children with mild to moderate anxiety, a sensitive gag reflex, or those who simply need a little extra help relaxing in the dental chair.
For children who need more extensive dental treatment or who are not able to complete care comfortably while awake, Lion’s Tooth is proud to offer in-office general anesthesia through our partnership with Dr. Justin Klanke, a board certified anesthesiologist specializing in office-based pediatric anesthesia with Safe Sedations.
General anesthesia is administered right here in our office, in a familiar environment with the team your child already knows. Children are completely comfortable throughout the procedure, with no pain, no fear, and no memory of the treatment itself. In most cases all necessary dental work can be completed in a single visit, which means one experience instead of many.
The benefits extend well beyond the appointment itself. Children who receive treatment under general anesthesia often return for future visits without the fear or avoidance that can follow a difficult dental experience. Protecting your child’s long-term relationship with dental care matters just as much to us as the clinical outcome of any single visit.
Dr. Klanke works alongside our dental team from start to finish. Safety is never an afterthought. Every patient is individually evaluated, every family is thoroughly informed, and every procedure is planned with the highest standards of care.
For children who are medically compromised and require a level of support beyond what our office setting can provide, our doctors hold operating room privileges at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, one of the most consistently top-ranked children’s hospital systems in the United States.
This is not a referral to an unfamiliar provider. When your child needs the resources of a full hospital environment, your Lion’s Tooth doctors are with you in that operating room, delivering the same trusted, familiar care in a setting fully equipped to support your child’s medical complexity.
For families of children with significant medical needs who have been told their child is too complicated for a standard dental office, this is the answer you have been looking for. We are one of very few pediatric dental practices in the Dayton region able to offer this level of continuity and clinical depth.
Sedation may be appropriate for children who experience significant dental anxiety or phobia, children with autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorders, or other special healthcare needs, very young children who are not yet able to cooperate for treatment, children who need extensive dental work that would be difficult to complete across multiple awake visits, and children with a strong gag reflex that makes examination or treatment uncomfortable.
If you are not sure whether sedation is the right path for your child, we are happy to talk it through with you before any decisions are made.
Before any sedation appointment, our team will review your child’s health history thoroughly, explain the process in detail, and answer every question you have. We will provide clear instructions for the day of the appointment and make sure you feel completely prepared and confident before you arrive.
On the day of the appointment, our team will be with your child every step of the way. After the appointment, we will make sure your child is comfortable and give you everything you need to support them at home during recovery.
You will never feel rushed, uninformed, or alone in this process. That is a promise we make to every family.
Families travel significant distances to receive sedation dental care at Lion’s Tooth because of the depth of our clinical options and the warmth of our approach. If you are searching for a pediatric sedation dentist in the Dayton area and have not found a practice that feels right for your child, we invite you to call us. We are happy to talk before you ever schedule an appointment.
