Adelaide Paediatric Dentistry provides care in all aspects of paediatric dentistry.
Our services include
- Familiarisation to the dental environment from an early age and for anxious children and adolescents
- Regular dental reviews
- Preventive care such as oral hygiene and cleaning, fissure sealants, fluoride treatments and sports mouthguards
- Comprehensive management of dental caries in infants, young children and adolescents
- Comprehensive management of developmental defects of enamel such as Molar Hypomineralisation, Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation and developmental defects of primary teeth
- Extractions of primary and permanent teeth
- Comprehensive management of anxious children and adolescents using various forms of sedation such as nitrous oxide sedation and general anaesthesia
- Comprehensive and ongoing management of dental trauma for primary and permanent teeth
- Oral surgery, including tongue tie releases, labial frenectomies, extractions of impacted teeth, exposures of impacted teeth, exposures and bonding of impacted teeth as part of orthodontic treatment and management of oral pathology such as cysts and benign tumours
- Comprehensive management of dental anomalies such as ectodermal dysplasia, amelogenesis imperfecta, dentinogenesis imperfecta and other dental anomalies
- Comprehensive management from birth to adolescents of craniofacial malformations including cleft lip and palate conditions in collaboration with the Australian Cranio-facial Unit
- Comprehensive care for special needs infants, children and adolescents in collaboration with various paediatric medical specialists such as paediatricians
- Comprehensive care for infants, children and adolescents with various medical conditions in collaboration with various medical specialists
- Early interceptive orthodontic treatment and space management
- Endodontic treatment for primary and permanent teeth
- Prosthodontic treatment for children and adolescents with missing permanent teeth as a result of congenital oligodontia or as a result of dental trauma
- Dental emergencies
As every child is unique, so are all our services which are individualised for each child. The specialists at Adelaide Paediatric Dentistry all hold conjoint appointments at the Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the University of Adelaide. They are highly trained with a wealth of experiences in Paediatric Dentistry and will discuss the needs and requirements for each child in detail at your appointment. Our treatment is comprehensive and we pride ourselves on providing the most successful outcomes for dental care.
Sedation
Many children and adolescents may require sedation for dental treatment due to various factors, such as their age, amount of dental treatment required or type of dental treatment required such as surgical procedures, temperament, poor past experiences, ability to cope or medical reasons. Sedation at Adelaide Paediatric Dentistry involves either Conscious Sedation (Nitrous Sedation) or General Anaesthesia. The decision on which form of sedation will be based on the overall assessment and treatment needs of your child and in careful consultation with you as their parent.
- Conscious sedation is defined as a medication-induced state that the patient’s level of consciousness during which the patient can respond purposefully to verbal commands or light stimulation by touch. Conscious sedation techniques such as oral sedation or Nitrous sedation (happy or laughing gas) are often used for children and adolescents having dental treatment. At Adelaide Paediatric Dentistry we only provide Nitrous sedation. Nitrous sedation occurs in the dental surgery and your child will remain awake throughout the dental procedure. Children and adolescents who are anxious or fearful, but want to co-operate are ideally suited to Nitrous sedation.
- General anaesthesia produces a drug-induced state where the patient will not respond to any stimuli, including pain. It may be associated with changes in breathing and circulation.
Nitrous sedation
Nitrous sedation is the most common inhalation agent that can be used for conscious sedation to relax a child without the loss of consciousness. Nitrous sedation is a blend of two gases, oxygen and nitrous oxide. When inhaled it is absorbed by the body and has a calming effect. After the completion of nitrous oxide sedation, it is very quickly metabolized by the body and the calming effect wears off.
Nitrous sedation assists with the child to alleviate fears and anxiety during treatment. It is often used in Paediatric Dentistry and helps children manage dental treatment in a positive environment. Often stories are told and it becomes an enjoyable experience. Recommendations of nitrous sedation being used is based on the child’s age, level of anxiety, amount of dental treatment required as well as the length of time required to complete treatment. Nitrous sedation can be very helpful in children that are worried about the sights, sounds or sensations of dental treatment.
Nitrous sedation is not suitable for all children especially those with severe anxiety or low level of co-operation as well as children that require extensive dental treatment. Even nasal congestion or illness in children will make the Nitrous sedation less likely to be effective. If your child is ill at the time of the procedure it is advised you contact the practice and inform them of the situation and decision will be made if it is best to reschedule.
Is it safe?
Nitrous sedation is very safe. It is non-addictive, mild, easily administered and quickly eliminated from the body. Your child remains fully conscious and keeps natural reflexes when breathing nitrous oxide/oxygen throughout the treatment.
How your child will feel during and after treatment.
Your child will be given a choice of flavours of the nose mask at the beginning of treatment and showed how it will be placed on their nose. Treatment will then start off with nitrous sedation and the dentist will tell your child a story. This story will continue during the treatment. During the treatment, your child will experience a sense of relaxation. Your child will have mild tingling sensations in their toes and fingers, these sensations are normal.
Towards the end of treatment, the dentist will reduce the nitrous levels until your child is breathing oxygen only. At the completion of treatment, the dentist will monitor your child until he/she is happy to remove the nose mask where your child is breathing oxygen only. Given the level of relaxation, your child experiences during treatment it is not uncommon for your child to be a little sleepy following treatment.
General Anaesthesia
General anaesthesia produces a drug-induced state where the patient will not respond to any stimuli, including pain. It may be associated with changes in breathing and circulation. General anaesthesia means that your child is fully asleep. Some of these children are better treated under general anaesthesia.
Who gives the anaesthetic?
General anaesthetics are given by anaesthetists. Specialist anaesthetists are fully qualified medical doctors who hold a degree in medicine and spend at least two years working in the hospital system before completing a further five years (or equivalent) of accredited training in anaesthesia culminating in being awarded a fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA), which can be recognised by the initials after their name.
The anaesthetist stays with your child all the time during the operation and carefully monitors him or her.
A general anaesthetic which takes place in a hospital is often a consideration where the attempt of trying to treat your child in the chair may not be the ideal option for your child. All our treatment under general anaesthesia takes place at the new Calvary Adelaide Hospital. We are very fortunate to have Anaesthetists who have extensive experience in Paediatrics. The Anaesthetists we use include:
- Dr Tom Vaughn, Adelaide Anaesthetics
- Dr Nicholas Marks, Stace Anaesthetics
- Dr Pedram Naderi, Pulse Anaesthetics