Attitudes and habits established at an early age are critical to maintaining lifelong oral health. During February, National Children’s Dental Health Month, it is important to know how to keep your child’s teeth healthy and ensure they have access to safe dental care in Maine.

As president of the Maine Association of Nurse Anesthetists and a parent, I urge other parents, in addition to teaching your children good dental habits, to work with their dental team to ensure sedation or anesthesia is provided by a qualified, licensed anesthesia professional.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Untreated cavities can cause pain and infections and lead to problems eating, speaking and learning. Because of special needs, anxiety or procedural pain, some children receive sedation and anesthesia, even for routine dental care.

This increases the complexity of care and illustrates the importance of having sedation and anesthesia provided by an anesthesia professional, like a certified registered nurse anesthetist, who is focused only on patient safety, monitoring and vigilance.

Patients can count on a certified registered nurse anesthetist to stay with them throughout their dental procedure, advocate on their behalf and provide high-quality, patient-centered care.

Establishing healthy habits early, like regular brushing and flossing, is essential to good oral health. But when the need arises, you also want your child to have a team that will deliver safe, quality dental care.

Andrew Osborne, DNP, CRNA, APRN
president, Maine Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Bangor

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