FOR PATIENTS
Comfortable, Stress-Free Dental Visits
Our in-office anesthesia services are designed to help you (or your child) feel calm, safe, and completely at ease during dental treatment. From start to finish, our team handles everything with care—so you can focus on healing, not the anxiety that often comes with dental visits.
HOW IT WORKS
Your Sedation Experience
We’re here to make your dental visit as safe, smooth, and stress-free as possible.
Here’s what to expect from start to finish:
One of our experienced team members will connect with you to understand your (or your child’s) needs and begin planning your in-office anesthesia visit. During this step, we’ll gather medical history, review financial details, and walk you through how to prepare for your appointment.
Before your sedation appointment, you’ll need to visit your primary care physician—or your child’s pediatrician—to obtain medical clearance. This ensures we’re providing care in the safest possible way.
The evening before your/your child’s procedure, you’ll speak directly with the treating anesthesiologist. They’ll review your medical information, explain the sedation process, and answer any questions to help you feel fully prepared.
*Please notify our office if there is any change in your or your child’s health prior to the surgery date. This is especially important if symptoms such as a fever over 100.4°F, cough, congestion, runny nose, or sore throat develop.
When you arrive at the dental office, our doctor will perform a brief physical exam to ensure that you or your child can proceed safely before giving any medication.
The doctor will stay with you or your child throughout the procedure, from start to finish.
After the procedure, you’ll recover in the dental office under our supervision. Once the patient is stable and meets all discharge criteria, you’ll be safely released to go home.
Pediatric Patients
For children who are very young, fearful, or unable to cooperate with traditional dental visits, office-based anesthesia offers a safe and effective solution. Most children are able to have all of their work done in 1 sedation appointment. We work closely with your child’s pediatric dentist to ensure a smooth, reassuring experience from start to finish.
Adult Patients
There are many reasons patients choose sedation for their dental procedures—and we’re here to help make those visits possible. Whether you’re anxious, have a strong gag reflex, a complex treatment plan, or past trauma around dental care, we create personalized anesthetic plans that make treatment comfortable, calm, and stress-free.
Special Needs Patients
Respectful, individualized care for every patient.
Patients with special needs can face unique challenges during dental treatment—often experiencing heightened anxiety or difficulty adapting to traditional care settings. At Dental Sedation Services, we understand the importance of meeting each patient where they are, and creating a calm, positive experience for both the patient and their family.
We carefully develop an individualized anesthetic plan based on the patient’s medical and behavioral needs, helping to minimize stress and ensure a safe, compassionate experience from start to finish.
Common procedures we support with anesthesia include:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Everything You Want to Know
Absolutely. Anesthesia has advanced significantly since its first use by a dentist in 1846. Our goal is always to ensure patients are safely asleep—and, more importantly, safely awake. Our board-certified dentist-anesthesiologists use hospital-grade monitoring equipment and never leave the room while a patient is sedated. We take detailed preoperative medical histories and remain with you until you are fully recovered and safe to be discharged.
You’ll stay with your child before the procedure begins and immediately after as they recover. For safety and infection control, parents are not permitted in the operatory during the sedation and dental treatment. Rest assured, your child will be closely monitored the entire time by our board-certified anesthesiologists and the dental team. Our top priority is your child’s safety and comfort throughout the visit.
No. For your safety, you must have a responsible adult accompany you home after anesthesia. Rideshare services or taxis are not permitted unless you are accompanied by an adult who can ensure your well-being during the trip. This is a standard precaution to prevent any complications during the recovery period.
We kindly ask that you do not bring other children to the appointment. Because dental sedation requires your full attention and care for the recovering patient, having additional children present can be distracting and may compromise safety. Please arrange childcare in advance so you can focus fully on supporting your child before, during, and after the procedure.
We recommend keeping your child home for the remainder of the day following their procedure. Most children are back to their normal selves by the next morning and can return to school the following day, unless otherwise advised by the anesthesiologist.
Recovery time varies depending on the individual and the type of sedation used. Most patients start feeling back to normal within a few hours, but we recommend a 24-hour precautionary period to ensure full recovery.
- Drowsiness or grogginess for a few hours after the procedure
- Nausea or vomiting, usually mild and short-lived
- Dry mouth or sore throat, which typically resolves quickly.
*Cold fluids and ice pops can help soothe it. - Minor bruising or soreness at the IV site
A Better Dental Experience
Our anesthesia team is here to help you feel calm, safe, and confident about your dental care. Whether you’re anxious about treatment, need extensive work, or have special medical needs—we’ll be by your side every step of the way to make your experience as smooth and stress-free as possible.