Inhalation Sedation for Young Children

Hi there! I’m Fluffy the Bear.

Last week, I went to the dentist and had something called magic air to help while my tooth was being fixed.

A dentist is a person who takes care of your teeth, and they work in a place called a dental surgery.

Magic air helps make visiting the dentist easier and more relaxing.

Getting Ready

When I visited the dentist, I sat in a big chair. The dentist looked at my teeth using a tiny mirror.

They found a hole in one of my teeth and said it should be fixed so it wouldn’t start to hurt.
To help make things easier, they said I could use magic air.

The Day My Tooth Was Fixed

That morning, I had a little bit of breakfast, but not too much.

At the dentist’s, I sat in the chair again. The dentist and nurse showed me a special mask that goes over my nose — it looked just like an airplane pilot’s mask! I held it in place on my nose.

To help the mask stay on, the dentist gently leaned the chair back so I was lying flat.
Little tubes were attached to the mask so the magic air could come through.

🧸👍 Fluffy wearing the mask and giving a thumbs up!

First, I practised breathing in and out through my nose. The air just smelled fresh — not funny at all. The dentist counted my teeth with the mirror.

Then, something amazing happened — my fingers and toes felt warm and tingly, like I was floating! It was a nice feeling, and the dentist and nurse kept talking to me to make sure I was okay.

Fixing My Tooth

The dentist dried my tooth with soft cotton and cleaned it with a special liquid that made it feel a bit tingly and numb.

They used a small electric brush that made a buzzing sound and sprayed a little water to clean my tooth. Then, they filled in the hole with a special filling.

A light was used to make the filling strong and hard.

All this time, I was breathing through my nosepiece and still feeling calm from the magic air.

When my tooth was finished, the tingly feeling started to go away, and I didn’t feel floaty anymore.

After the Appointment

The dentist slowly sat the chair up and gently removed the mask. My head felt a bit dizzy at first, but I was okay.

Fluffy is smiling and wearing a badge that says “I’ve been to the dentist!”

After about five minutes, I felt fine again. I sat in a comfy chair in another room for a little while.
My mouth still felt a bit numb, so the dentist reminded me not to bite my lip until the feeling came back to normal.

Then I went home and played quietly. A little later, my mouth felt just right — and best of all, no more hole in my tooth!

If you or your grown-up have any questions, ask your Dr Ismail.

If anything doesn’t feel right after your visit, please call Dr Ismail.

Acknowledgements:

• We sincerely thank John Holroyd for the design and illustrations of ‘Fluffy the Bear’.
• This information has been adapted from materials provided by the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Anaesthetists.