Nitrous Oxide (happy gas)

Many children are calm, comfortable, and confident in a pediatric dental office. Because pediatric dentists specialize in treating children, they make children feel special. Sometimes, however, a child feels anxious during treatment. Your child may need more support than a gentle, caring manner to feel comfortable. Nitrous oxide is a safe, effective technique to calm a child’s fear of the dental visit.

Your child will smell a sweet, pleasant aroma and experience a sense of well-being and relaxation. If your child is worried by the sights, sounds, or sensations of dental treatment, he or she may respond more positively with the use of nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is perhaps the safest sedative in dentistry. It is nonaddictive, mild, easily taken, and quickly eliminated by the body. Your child remains fully conscious and keeps all natural reflexes when breathing nitrous oxide/oxygen.

We recommend you limit your child’s food intake before the dental visit, as nausea or vomiting occasionally occurs when a child has a full stomach. Also, tell your pediatric dentist about any respiratory condition that makes breathing through the nose difficult for your child, as it may limit the effectiveness of nitrous oxide/oxygen.

Conscious Sedation

Conscious sedation is a management technique that uses medications to assist the child to cope with fear and anxiety and cooperate with dental treatment. Medications and dosages used are unlikely to cause loss of consciousness in the patient, although children often become drowsy and may even sleep. Conscious sedation should be considered for children who have a high level of anxiety and are unable to cooperate. It is also extremely helpful for children who are very young or who have special needs.

Conscious sedation aids in allowing a child to cope better with dental treatment, therefore preventing injury to the child and promoting a better environment for dental care. Many different medications can be used for conscious sedation. Your pediatric dentist will discuss different options for your child.

In-Office Intravenous (IV) Sedation

Intravenous sedation is available for certain children who suffer from severe anxiety or whose dental treatment cannot be completed with conscious sedation techniques. It is similar to hospital sedation in that the child will be completely asleep during their treatment, however, the treatment is performed right here in the comfort and convenience of our office. Certain days are set aside on our office schedule to accommodate patients who are candidates for this method of sedation.

On these special days we are joined by our trusted colleague, anesthesiologist Ben Quenzer MD, and his assistant Crystal Molck , who provide their expert services.

Dr. Ben Quenzer is a Board Certified anesthesiologist and President of North Dallas Anesthesia.  He performs IV sedation for oral surgery and dental procedures.  Dr. Quenzer graduated from high school in Plano, Texas and then received his undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University.  He attended Baylor College of Medicine for medical school and then went to a four-year anesthesia residency at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.  In 2007, Dr. Quenzer founded North Dallas Anesthesia focusing on office-based sedation for dentists and oral surgeons.  Dr. Quenzer also teaches seminars on managing medical emergencies and trains dental offices on how to prepare for emergencies.  He resides in Allen, Texas with his wife and four children and enjoys camping, reading, and woodworking.

Crystal Molck, RDA 

Anna, RDA

Hospital Dentistry

General anesthesia is a management technique that uses medications to cause the child to become unconscious and asleep while receiving dental care. It is provided in a hospital setting by a physician or dentist who has special training in anesthesia. Children with severe anxiety, inability to cooperate, or who need extensive treatment are candidates for general anesthesia. A child’s age, health, and mental maturity level are all relevant factors when considering hospital sedation.

Children’s Medical Center Legacy
Plano, Texas
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TX Health-WNJ Hospital
Sherman, Texas
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Heritage Park Surgical Hospital
Sherman, Texas
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