For the people whohate the dentist most.
If you've been putting off treatment for years, sedation is how we fix everything comfortably — often in fewer visits. Nitrous for mild nerves, oral sedation for the rest.
- Nitrous or oral options
- Combine several visits
- No judgment, ever
How it works.
Tell us the truth
What scares you specifically — needles, sounds, gagging, loss of control.
Pick the right level
Nitrous wears off in minutes; oral sedation needs a driver.
Get more done at once
Sedation lets us combine treatment into fewer appointments.
Wake up finished
Most patients remember very little of the visit.
Avoiding the dentist because of fear is common, and it is not a character flaw
If you have put off dental care for years because the thought of the chair makes your chest tight, you are not unusual and you are not going to be judged here. A large share of adults feel some version of this. Plenty of them are people who have never told a dental office about it.
Fear usually has a source. A bad experience as a kid. A dentist who kept going when you said it hurt. A gag reflex that makes cleanings miserable. Needles. Noise. Not being able to see what is happening. Sometimes it is not fear at all, just a jaw that will not stay open for two hours.
All of that is workable. Sedation is a normal, routine part of dentistry, and asking for it is as ordinary as asking for a blanket. Tell whoever answers the phone. It goes in your chart, and the whole team will know before you walk in.
The levels of sedation, and what each one feels like
Nitrous oxide. A blend of nitrous and oxygen you breathe through a small nosepiece. It takes effect within a few minutes. You stay fully awake and able to talk, but the edge comes off. Most patients describe a light, floaty, slightly detached feeling, and time passing faster than it should. When we are finished, you breathe pure oxygen for a few minutes and it clears almost completely. You can drive yourself home and go back to work.
Oral sedation. A prescription medication taken before your appointment. You are conscious and can respond to us, but you are considerably more relaxed, and many patients remember very little of the visit afterward. This is the option for longer appointments, multiple procedures in one sitting, or anxiety that nitrous alone does not touch. You will need someone to drive you.
Local anesthetic on its own. Worth naming, because plenty of people who thought they needed sedation just needed to be numb, to be told what was happening before it happened, and to have a hand signal that actually stops the appointment. That is available to every patient here without any medication at all.
Which level fits you depends on the procedure, your medical history, and how much anxiety you are carrying. We will talk it through before we schedule, not on the day of.
Who is a good candidate, and how we keep it safe
Sedation is a good fit if any of this sounds like you: dental anxiety serious enough that you have canceled appointments, a strong gag reflex, difficulty getting numb, TMJ or jaw pain that makes long appointments hard, a lot of treatment you would rather do in fewer visits, or a genuine phobia of needles.
Your medical history determines what we can safely use. Bring your full medication list, including supplements, and tell us about sleep apnea, respiratory conditions, pregnancy, heart conditions, or liver problems. Some of those change the plan. None of them automatically rule sedation out, but they need to be on the table before we choose.
During sedation we monitor you continuously, and a team member stays with you the entire time. Nitrous oxide has a long safety record and is reversible within minutes, which is part of why it is the most commonly used option in dentistry. Every case is different, and candidacy is determined at a consultation, not from a website.
The logistics people actually ask about
Do I need a driver? For nitrous oxide, no. For oral sedation, yes, and you should not drive for the rest of that day.
Can I eat beforehand? For nitrous, a light meal is fine and probably better than an empty stomach. For oral sedation we will give you specific instructions when we schedule.
How far ahead should I book? Sooner than you think. We have a limited number of rooms plumbed for nitrous oxide, so sedation appointments are scheduled into specific chairs. Mentioning it when you call, rather than when you arrive, is what gets you the slot you want.
Does insurance cover it? Coverage varies quite a bit by plan and by procedure. We will check your benefits and give you the number in advance.
Will you talk to me during it? As much or as little as you want. Some patients want each step narrated. Others want headphones and no conversation. Tell us which one you are.
What it costs.
Nitrous oxide is an inexpensive per-visit add-on. Oral sedation is priced by appointment length and is often worth it when it replaces three visits with one.
- Nitrous: modest per-visit fee
- Oral sedation: quoted by appointment length
- Some plans cover sedation for extensive treatment
What patients say.
4.9 out of 5 across 1,139 Google reviews at our two offices.
Common questions.
Will I be unconscious?
No. Both nitrous oxide and oral sedation keep you conscious and able to respond. You are relaxed rather than asleep, though with oral sedation many patients doze and remember little afterward. We do not provide general anesthesia in the office.
Is it embarrassing to ask for sedation?
Not here, and not to us. We hear the request constantly, from adults of every age and every level of toughness in the rest of their lives. The dentistry that scares people is genuinely unpleasant to sit through without help. Asking for help is the sensible response.
Can I have sedation for just a cleaning?
Yes. Cleanings are a common request, particularly for patients with a strong gag reflex or a history of painful cleanings elsewhere. Nitrous oxide is usually enough. Say so when you book so we can reserve the right room.
How long does it take to wear off?
Nitrous clears within about five to ten minutes of breathing oxygen at the end of your appointment, and most patients drive themselves straight back to work. Oral sedation lasts considerably longer. Plan to have the rest of the day free and someone to drive you both ways.
Is sedation safe if I have sleep apnea?
It can be, but it changes how we plan. Sedatives relax the airway muscles, which is the same tissue already involved in apnea, so we need your diagnosis and whether you use CPAP or an oral appliance. Tell us during the health history. In some cases we adjust the approach or use nitrous only. This is exactly the kind of detail our airway-focused team pays close attention to.
Request your appointment.
Four questions. Our care team calls you back within one business day. If you are in pain right now, call the office directly and we will get you seen.