In short: prepare your child honestly, in words that suit their age. Follow the fasting instructions you are given exactly. Tell the team about any recent cough or cold, snoring, loose teeth and previous anaesthetics. On the day you may be able to stay until your child is asleep. Some children wake up upset or confused for a short time, then settle. Expect numb lips and a little blood in the saliva, and plan a quiet day at home.
Why a general anaesthetic may be recommended
Dental treatment under general anaesthetic is usually suggested when a child needs a lot of treatment at once, is too young to manage it awake, has severe dental anxiety, or has a disability or medical condition that makes treatment in the chair very difficult. The Australian Dental Association’s policy says treatment under general anaesthesia “should only be undertaken when indicated for appropriate management of the patient”. You are entitled to ask why it has been recommended and what the alternatives are.
Preparing your child
ANZCA’s patient information says it helps a child to know what is going to happen, and suggests answering questions, focusing on the good reasons for the treatment, and bringing familiar items. Raising Children Network suggests preparing young children for dental visits by talking or reading books about how dentists help us look after our teeth. The Royal Children’s Hospital has short videos and a fact sheet on preparing for a general anaesthetic.
Some ideas for different ages:
- Toddlers: keep it short and close to the day. “The dentist is going to fix your teeth while you have a special sleep, and I will be there when you wake up.”
- Preschoolers: play it through with a toy, a pretend mask and a teddy who needs their teeth fixed. Pack a comfort toy.
- School-age children: be honest about the mask or the “little scratch” of a cannula, and let them ask questions. Avoid promising things you cannot control.
- Teenagers: include them in the conversations with the dentist and anaesthetist, and respect their privacy.
Children notice adult worry. If you are anxious, it may help to talk to the anaesthetist yourself before the day.
What the team needs to know
Tell the dentist and anaesthetist, before the day if possible, about:
- coughs, colds, fever or vomiting in the past few weeks
- asthma, snoring, pauses in breathing at night or large tonsils
- loose baby teeth, which can be dislodged during an anaesthetic
- every medicine, inhaler and supplement your child takes, and any allergies
- previous anaesthetics, including whether your child was very distressed on waking
- any family history of problems with anaesthesia
- what helps your child cope, and what upsets them.
Fasting
Fasting times for children are different from those for adults, and they differ by age and by what your child drinks. Follow the written instructions from your child’s anaesthetist, dentist or hospital exactly; they come before anything you read here or online. ANZCA’s advice is to tell the anaesthetist when your child last ate or drank. For a general explanation of why fasting matters, see Dr Aly’s guide to fasting before anaesthesia or sedation.
On the day
The anaesthetic may start with your child breathing anaesthetic gas through a mask, or with medicine through a cannula. healthdirect notes that older children more often have a cannula and younger children more often breathe gas through a mask, and that a child may be a bit restless as the gas takes effect.
If you stay while your child goes to sleep, ANZCA says that twitching, eye rolling, snoring and changes in breathing can be normal as the anaesthetic takes effect. Staff will then show you where to wait.
Waking up
Some children wake confused, crying or agitated. The Royal Children’s Hospital calls this emergence delirium. It is most common between the ages of two and ten, usually settles on its own within minutes, and is usually not remembered by the child. Your main job is to stay calm and keep your child safe while it passes. If it has happened before, tell the anaesthetist.
After dental treatment, the lips and cheeks may stay numb for some hours. The Royal Children’s Hospital suggests reminding your child not to bite or chew them and choosing room-temperature food and drink while they are numb.
The rest of the day at home
The Royal Children’s Hospital’s advice after dental day surgery includes:
- start with a light diet, and avoid hot and fizzy drinks for the first 12 hours
- expect some blood in the saliva in the first 24 hours. If bleeding continues, apply gentle, firm pressure with gauze or a clean damp cloth for 30 minutes
- vomiting once or twice is not unusual. Pause food for about an hour, then try a light diet
- give pain relief only as advised, checking the packet for the right dose for your child’s age and weight
- let your child rest for the rest of the day with an adult caring for them. Many children can return to school the next day.
healthdirect notes that some children show changes in behaviour for a while after an anaesthetic, such as anxiety, night-time crying, bed-wetting or tantrums. Talk to your GP if you are concerned or if changes persist.
When to get help
Call 000 if your child has difficulty breathing, is very hard to wake, or you are seriously worried.
Contact the dentist or anaesthetist, or go to an emergency department, if bleeding continues despite firm pressure, vomiting keeps going, pain is not controlled by the recommended pain relief, or your child develops a fever. For health advice at any time, you can call healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
Common questions
Will my child remember the treatment?
No. A general anaesthetic means your child is unconscious for the whole treatment. Some children remember the start, such as the mask or the cannula, and some remember being upset as they woke, although the Royal Children's Hospital notes that children usually do not remember emergence delirium.
Why can't my child just have happy gas or sedation?
For some children, especially older ones needing only a little treatment, happy gas or sedation in the dental chair may be possible. A general anaesthetic is more often suggested when there is a lot of treatment, when a child is very young, or when a child cannot cooperate with treatment while awake. Ask the dentist why a general anaesthetic has been recommended and what the alternatives are.
Can I stay with my child while they go to sleep?
Often, yes. ANZCA says a parent may be able to stay at the start of the anaesthetic if it helps the child and is safe to do so. Practices and hospitals have different arrangements, so ask beforehand.
Will my child need to stay overnight?
Most children having dental treatment under general anaesthetic go home the same day, once the anaesthetist and dentist are satisfied that they have recovered. Children with some medical conditions, or having more extensive surgery, may stay longer.
My child has a cold. Should we still go ahead?
Phone the dentist or hospital as soon as you can. A recent cough, cold, fever or vomiting can make an anaesthetic riskier, and the anaesthetist may decide to postpone treatment until your child is well.
Sources
- ANZCA. Anaesthesia and children (patient information). Page modified 26 Oct 2026.
- The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. Preparing your child for surgery: general anaesthesia (Kids Health Info). Updated Jul 2025.
- The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. Emergence delirium (Kids Health Info). Updated Jul 2025.
- The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. Day surgery: dental surgery, discharge care (Kids Health Info). Updated Jul 2025.
- healthdirect Australia. General anaesthetic (child). Last reviewed Jan 2026.
- Raising Children Network. Going to the dentist: for kids (About dentists). Accessed 2 Nov 2026.
- Australian Society of Anaesthetists. Anaesthesia for children (pamphlets in English, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Vietnamese). Page modified 22 May 2026.
- Australian Dental Association. Policy Statement 6.32: General anaesthesia in dentistry. June 2025.
- ANZCA. Fasting before your surgery (patient information). Page modified 26 Oct 2026.
- Written by
- Altitude Creative, health content team, on behalf of Dr Walid Aly
- Clinical reviewer
- In progress
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How this guide is written, reviewed and corrected: editorial policy.
In an emergency, call 000. This information is general and does not replace advice from your treating practitioner.