We went through this with my daughter last year—she’s super anxious at the dentist too. IV sedation honestly made a huge difference for her. She barely remembered anything, which was such a relief. I still worried about the whole process, but her dentist explained everything step by step and kept checking in. It wasn’t perfect (I was a nervous wreck waiting), but she came out calm and didn’t have any of those panicky memories afterward. If you’re feeling nervous, you’re definitely not alone—it’s a real thing, and there are ways to make it easier.
I’ve thought about IV sedation but I’m honestly freaked out by the idea of being put under, even a little. Did your daughter have any side effects after, like nausea or feeling groggy for hours? I get anxious about not being in control, so I’m not sure if it would make me feel better or worse. I usually just do the laughing gas, but it doesn’t help much with panic...
I get anxious about not being in control, so I’m not sure if it would make me feel better or worse.
I totally get what you mean about not wanting to give up control. I’ve always just toughed it out with the laughing gas too, but honestly, that barely took the edge off for me. The idea of IV sedation freaked me out mainly because of the cost and not knowing how I’d react. My insurance doesn’t cover it, so that was a factor—just putting that out there since it adds up quick.
I did try oral sedation once (they gave me a pill before a wisdom tooth removal), and I was still awake but super relaxed—like, I didn’t care what was happening, which was weirdly comforting. No grogginess or nausea after, just a bit sleepy for a few hours. But I could still respond if they asked me something, which helped with the control thing.
If you’re already anxious about being “out,” maybe see if your dentist does oral sedation? It was less scary for me than an IV, and way cheaper. Not perfect, but better than white-knuckling it the whole time...
We tried oral sedation for my kid’s dental work last year and I was super nervous about it. I really liked that she was still awake and could answer when they talked to her, but wasn’t panicking or squirming. It felt safer than IV, honestly. She just got a little sleepy after and then bounced back pretty quick. Cost was lower too, which helped. I’m still anxious every time, but this made it less stressful for both of us.
I really liked that she was still awake and could answer when they talked to her, but wasn’t panicking or squirming. It felt safer than IV, honestly.
I hear you on the nerves. My son has a whole dentist horror story from when he was little (think: crying, kicking, the works), so I totally get why you’d be anxious. We’ve done oral sedation for him too, and it was such a game-changer. He was calm but not out of it, which made me feel better because I could see he was okay—just a little dopey and chatty, which was actually kind of funny.
I’ve had IV sedation myself for wisdom teeth and honestly, I didn’t love not being able to remember anything or feeling so groggy after. With oral, like you said, recovery’s way quicker and it didn’t totally wipe my kid out for the rest of the day. The cost difference is real too. Dental stuff already costs an arm and a leg, so anywhere we can save helps.
I do have a friend who swears by nitrous for her daughter—she says it’s less intimidating than pills, and her kid actually likes the “funny gas” mask. But my son hated having the mask on his face, so it’s definitely not one-size-fits-all. Guess it comes down to what makes your kid (and you) feel safest.
It’s wild how much of this is just managing our own stress as parents. I always end up more frazzled than my son by the end. Glad to hear oral sedation worked for you. Makes those appointments a little less like running a marathon, right?