General Anesthesia is recommended for high anxiety children, very young children, complex dental treatment, pre - existing medical conditions, and children with special needs that would not work well under conscious sedation or I. V. sedation. General anesthesia renders your child completely asleep. This would be the same as if he/she was having their tonsils removed, ear tubes, or hernia repaired. While the assumed risks are greater than that of other treatment options, if this is suggested for your child, the benefits of treatment this way have been deemed to outweigh the risks. Most pediatric medical literature places the risk of a serious reaction in the range of 1 in 25,000 to 1 in 200,000, far better than the assumed risk of even driving a car daily. The inherent risks if this is not chosen are multiple appointments, potential for physical restraint to complete treatment and possible emotional and/or physical injury to your child in order to complete their dental treatment. The risks of NO treatment includes tooth pain, infection, swelling, the spread of new decay, damage to their developing adult teeth and possible life threatening hospitalization from a dental infection and death.
Prior to your appointment:
Do not eat or drink (including water) 6-8 hours prior to your surgery. If ignored, this could lead to cancellation of the case. It is very important that your child is an empty stomach when anesthesia is administered. This will reduce the danger of vomiting and inhaling stomach contents into the lungs while asleep.
Please, arrive 30 minutes prior to your appointment time.
Patient is required to have a history and physical (H & P) done by their pediatrician or nurse practitioner. Fax or bring the completed H & P to the surgery location 48 hours prior to the case.
Please notify us of any medical or health changes with your child. Do not bring your child for treatment with a fever, ear infection or cold. Should your child become ill, contact us to see if it is necessary to post pone the appointment.
You must tell the doctor of any medications your child is currently taking and if any medications had reactions in the past.
The child's parent or legal guardian must remain at the hospital or surgical site during the the complete procedure. Having two adults accompanying the child patient to the office/hospital can be helpful for the drive home. Do not bring other younger brother or sisters to the appointment. Your (parent/guardian) attention needs to be directed toward the child's health.
Patient should wear loose - fitting clothes that are easy to remove and put back on. It is always a good idea to bring an extra change of clothing for your child, as it is possible they may have an accident. If, your child wears diapers or pull-ups make sure they are fresh and that you bring some extra on the day of the procedure. Please, remove all the jewelry prior to the surgery.
The anesthesiologist makes the final decision to cancel the patient's appointment. This decision is made in the best interest of your child's health.
Your child may be drowsy after the procedure. Please, plan a low activity day with slow progression to regular diet. Your child's diet should include clear liquids for first several hours after the surgery to maintain hydration. Soft foods such as chicken broth soup, noodles, rice, Jell - O, or apple sauce are more appropriate. Many children resume back to their daily activities on the following day.
If you are unable to Keep your appointment, please notify our office IMMEDIATELY. Failure to give us sufficient notification of at least 1 week in advance will result in a cancellation fee of being charged to you for the reserved surgical facility.
If you have any other questions, please give us a call at 708 579 (KIDS) 5437 Fax # 708 387 8206 Email: Info@LifeKids.com
4727 Willow Springs Rd. La Grange IL 60525