Will the dentist put my son to sleep?

[Miracle29]

Hi everyone. My son has been waiting on the orthodontist list now for 3 years and finally today i got a phone call to say they can now see him. The dentist has already said he will definitely need teeth taken out and braces. Ive spoken to my son today and hes really really nervous about having them out. My question is will they put him to sleep? My son said he doesn't want to be awake when they take them out at all and to be honest I dont think I'd be very good in that situation either. I hate seen my children scared or in pain but I'm nervous to say yes they'll put him to sleep if the orthodontist refuses to put him to sleep. Anyone any advice or been through this? Thankyou.

@delilahbucket that’s surprising, especially for baby teeth, are you in the UK? Two dentists have posted upthread to say that it’s very unusual for children to be anaesthetised for tooth extractions, and is only done in extreme circumstances.

My DS had baby teeth extracted, and my DD had adult teeth extracted. Both were 13 at the time, and all extractions were done at the dentists with just numbing injections.

@waterlego yes in the UK. They were back teeth but baby teeth.

@Miracle29

I think it's the pain side of things hes worried about and the thought of having teeth out. I've tried to reassure him as much as I can but hes adamant on sedation. I'm just worried hes set his heart on it and they refuse.

For what it's worth my DS didn't even realise that the dentist had given him 4 injections. The numbing gel was that good and the two teeth he needed out for his braces came out really quickly.

Rescue remedy and/or a banana might help your DS calm down on the day.

I think I need to get some rescue remedy for ds and myself too! Once I know how many teeth need to be taken out and what the dentists thoughts are I can then have a big conversation about what he wants to do. It's hard to explain a procedure to a child when I dont really know nucha bout it myself only what I have been told. So I think I may just tell him there is a possibility they may not sedate or give a GA so in the case he will need to have the injections and the dentist will make sure it's a easy as possible and if at any point hes uncomfortable the dentist will stop. He always seems ok before we go to the dentist then once we are in the car its "will I need a filling" "what will he do" and these are always just check ups. Fingers crossed for us everyone 🤞

@delilahbucket I very much doubt he'll have it done while awake. DS had four baby teeth removed when he was 11 and it was done in hospital under general. It was a traumatic all round as the anaesthetic made him very sick, but much better than him being awake.

Dentist here again. It depends on the reason for the extractions. If a child is very anxious and requires teeth out that are diseased or abscesses, then, in some very minimal circumstances there might be a justification for a GA extraction. Was this the case with your DS?

If adult teeth ( healthy) need to be removed for orthodontic treatment only, and NOT because they are suffering, then it's much harder to justify a GA which has a higher risk of problems, not to mention the expense at carrying out the operation for a more cosmetic reason. Furthermore, if the surgeon and anaesthetist are able to justify the procedure, I'd expect you will be on a very long waiting list, as patients in pain will be prioritised.

To say you very much doubt he will be awake is actually completely wrong. The truth is I very much doubt he will be asleep.
Or maybe you aren't UK based, the. It might be a different scenario altogether, which I have no experience of.

Will the dentist put my son to sleep?

Not in the same way that the vet sometimes does, OP. Don't worry!

@orangejumpsuit as I have already said, I am in the UK. His teeth were neither diseased or had absesses and he was not anxious. He was under consultant care for his teeth though so I don't know if that made any difference. All his appointments were at the dental hospital.
I had teeth removed as a child and I was put to sleep too, although that was done when dentists could administer GA.

@delilahbucket why was your son under consultant care for his teeth? As that isn't the norm in general, but probably why he was offered GA.
but very much not the norm. As I said earlier it would be extremely unlikely that ortho extractions would be completed under a GA. back in 1999, when dentists could regularly carry out routine extractions under general anaesthetic, a little ten year old boy, with severe asthma, sadly died in the dental chair under GA. it was desperately sad and traumatising.
As a result of this case, GAs could no longer be performed in general practice, only in hospital settings, under the care of an anaesthetist.
Throw in "the pandemic" into the mix, snd you have a situation of massive backlogs for GA procedures ( those cases triaged as urgent due to disease, not cosmetic procedures)... so

I appreciate not all ortho is cosmetic, but ortho extractions would always be lower priority, especially as it is a relatively simple procedure that can easily be done quickly, painlessly and effectively in general practice under local