Taking your child to the dentist can either be a challenge or really easy. It all depends on your child. The best thing you can do is get them to the dentist at an early age and keep continuous appointments. However, if your child is fearful of the dentist, you may consider talking to their pediatric dentist about sedation dentistry. Here are four things to know about it:

1. The Goal is to Get Your Child's Dental Work Done: Sedation dentistry is not used to punish your child or to be cruel. The simple fact of the matter is that your child needs to have their dental work done. If it's not done because they are too fearful, will not sit still, or cannot keep calm while visiting the dentist, your child can suffer from serious oral health problems in the future. 
2. There are Different Types of Sedation: Sedation does not just include sedation in the office. Many parents are fearful that getting their child to even leave the house to go to the dentist will be impossible. This is why you can also choose at-home sedation. This is typically a pill that will be taken before your child's visit so that getting them to the car and into the dental office is calm and smooth. 
3. You Should be Prepared: Since the goal is to prevent fearful feelings of the dentist in your child, it's important that you are prepared for the task, as well. You should have trust in the dentist that your child is going to be cared for and you should not let your own fear that your child will be difficult at the dentist office be shown. Your child can feed off that and it can make the sedation not work. 
4. Follow All Special Instructions: Your child's pediatric dentist may have some special instructions for you to ensure that sedation is done properly. This can include not allowing your child to eat or drink anything for a certain number of hours. This can also include asking you to stay in the waiting room if your child will be better off with less people in the room. Whatever the case, it's important that you follow through on the instructions so that your child can receive the dental care that they need.

When you know these four things about sedation dentistry for your child, you can be sure that you are prepared and comfortable with the process.