When children require dental surgery, parents, as well as guardians, have a lot of apprehensions and queries which need to be addressed before proceeding for Best dental care. Prior to dental surgery, children need a lot of motivation; encouragement and they require to be mentally prepared for the procedure. Along with children, parents also require to be fully reassured and mentally at peace which in turn has a calming effect on the child.
Anesthesia and sedation are the pre-requisites for any kind of surgery and there must be some important questions that every parent must ask their Houston dentist. These questions must be asked before the surgery, during the surgery, and after the procedure is completed.
The answers to these queries can be given either by a dentist or also by a separate anesthetic/sedation practitioner in a dental center.
Questions to ask dental offices in Houston before the procedure begins
Below are the questions you must ask before your child undergoes dental surgery.
- For how much time should the child remain without eating and drinking anything before the surgery apart from mandatory medicines that the child needs to take with some water?
- Who will be analyzing the previous medical history of the child- any kind of allergies, reactions to any medicines, and recommend any tests and more before the surgery as well as any hospitalization in the past or any kind of illness that the child has suffered from?
- Who will be keeping a record of the prescription given by the dental surgeon before the procedure as well as provide all the required medications?
- Will the child be required to be given any kind of medicine for sedating at home before going to the dental center? And if this is required, what should be monitored?
- Is the person responsible for sedating or giving anesthesia before the surgery fully qualified and has enough experience as well as training for the same?
- Are the staff who will be assisting during the surgery well trained for any kind of emergency and is their training renewed from time to time?
- Does the person responsible for giving anesthesia and sedating in the position of all the licenses and permits which are mandatory as per the state dental board for providing the required level of sedation and anesthesia?
Questions during Procedure
Below are the questions you must ask while your child is undergoing the surgery
- Along with local anesthesia will the child be given any general anesthesia or sedation? And if so what will the level be. Will it be minimal sedation where the child will be awake and relaxed, will it be moderate sedation where the child will be awake but a little drowsy, deep sedation where the child will be hardly awake, or will it be general anesthesia where the child will not be conscious at all?
- How will the monitoring of the child be done prior to the surgery, during the operation, and after the procedure is complete till the child is discharged to be released from the hospital?
- How many people will be there to monitor and assist the child during the surgery and will they be having the required credentials as well as proper understanding?
- Does the dental center have appropriate medicines and medical equipment which can be available on an urgent need basis?
- Is there an emergency response plan which is written for the management of any kind of medical emergency?
Post-surgery Questions
Below are the questions you must ask after the surgery is over
- Will there be any instructions and precautionary measures be given by the anesthesia and/or the sedation provider once the surgery is concluded?
- Will the dental center provide any number which can be contacted in case any emergency arises after the procedure once the child has been discharged and gone home?
- Who should be consulted if there are any complications in the child’s health post the surgery and the child is at home?
- What kind of food can the child have after the surgery and how long will it take for the child to be able to eat proper food?
- Are there any precautions required to be taken while feeding the child?
This article provides in-depth knowledge about the kind of questions that are to be asked to the best dentist in Houston and the team when surgery is suggested for your child. As a parent, it becomes an overwhelming factor when the child needs to be in surgery, and asking as many questions as you want helps you as a parent to stay calm and more understood about the procedure that your child will go through.
These questions above for the different stages of before, during, and after the surgery will help you provide the best dental care for your child.
