Autism Dentist

Sedation Dentistry and Autism

When it comes to oral health, those with and without autism are one and the same. Everyone has the same need to maintain positive oral health to remain healthy overall.

Unfortunately, those with autism tend to have a more difficult time with their communication skills, which can make for difficulty when cooperation is necessary at the dentist. If you are a parent of a child with Autism, have a loved one with Autism or have Autism yourself in St. Louis, MO, you know that a visit to the dentist requires much more thought and care, and that’s why we recommend visiting our facility.

Here at the Dental Anesthesia Center in St. Louis, we specialize in working with patients with Special Needs thanks to our years of experience and cutting-edge sedation and sleep dentistry procedures. Sometimes a dental visit can be a difficult task, and in that case, dental sedation might be the right thing to perform the job swiftly and safely, especially if the matter is an urgent one.

What Is Sedation and Is It Safe?

This is a question that we get asked all the time. Sedation is a method of creating a state of sleep or relaxation through the use of sedative medications. Sedation is typically performed in order to help facilitate a medical or dental procedure. There are many different levels of sedation that we use with our patients:

• Minimal Sedation

Minimal sedation is the lightest form of sedation in all, and it is when the patient is still awake. Minimal sedation uses Nitrous Oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, or a Valium-like medication. These sedatives are mild and do not require any form of additional training for the dentist to administer.

• Moderate Sedation

Moderate sedation, otherwise referred to as “sedation dentistry”, is a heavier form of sedation where the patient is still awake. Moderate sedation still allows the patients to respond to questions throughout the procedure. Two days of additional training are required for a dentist if they are administering pills orally, though 60 hours of additional training are required for dentists who are performing intravenous sedation.

• Deep Sedation

Deep Sedation, otherwise referred to as “sleep dentistry” or general anesthesia dentistry, is a method of sedation where the patient is completely asleep. The patient will have no memory of the procedure during deep sedation. Dentists require an oral surgery residency or a dental anesthesiology residency to perform deep sedation. This type of sedation might be necessary depending on the patient’s ability to cooperate.

Deciding What Type of Sedation Will Be Best

When most people think of sedation, they immediately think of general anesthesia or sleep sedation. However, there are many other types of Sedation. Dr. Hoffmann, Dr. Thoms and Dr. Daugherty will help you decide which may be the best for you or your loved one.

The decision on what level of sedation is used will be made based on the age of the child, coping and communication skills of the child, the cognitive level, the physical health, and the parents’ or loved ones feelings toward the urgency of the procedure and anesthesia.

Making Your First Appointment

Here at the Dental Anesthesia Center in St. Louis, we’ve been working with special needs patients for over 25 years. We understand what it is like to work with children and adults with autism in St. Louis, and that is why it is our goal to provide the most comfortable experience possible.

If you feel like you are ready to make your first appointment with us, make sure to give us a call at (314) 862-7844. We look forward to meeting and working with you!