Laughing Gas & Sedation · San Ramon
What we offer, and what we deliberately don't
For most anxious patients, what changes things is not a drug. It is a longer appointment and someone explaining each step before it happens.
Who this is for
- You are anxious and want to know what is available
- A strong gag reflex that makes treatment difficult
- You have had a bad experience and need the edge taken off
- You are researching sedation dentistry and want a straight answer
Laughing gas — yes, we offer it
Laughing gas, properly called nitrous oxide, is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen breathed through a small nose piece. It takes effect within a few minutes and produces a light, floating detachment. You are awake, you can talk, and you remain in control throughout.
The practical advantage over other sedation is how quickly it clears. We give you pure oxygen for a few minutes at the end and it is out of your system by the time you stand up. You drive yourself home and go back to work if you want to. No escort, no lost day.
It is also excellent for a strong gag reflex, which is a common and rarely discussed reason people avoid dentistry.
What we do not offer, and why we are saying so
We do not provide oral conscious sedation, IV sedation, or general anesthesia. If you need that level of sedation it belongs with a practitioner specifically trained, equipped and licensed for it, with the monitoring and emergency provision that goes with it.
We are being explicit because our old website advertised IV sedation, and it should not have. If that is what brought you here, we will refer you to someone who genuinely provides it rather than talk you into something lesser.
A practice that offers deep sedation as a side line, without a dedicated anesthesia setup, is not a practice we would send our own family to.
The things that help more than most people expect
Numbing that is given time to actually work. A great deal of dental discomfort is a dentist starting ninety seconds early.
A stop signal agreed before we begin and honored every time. Knowing you can stop it is what makes people stop needing to.
Shorter appointments, one thing at a time, and the first slot of the morning so there is no waiting-room time to sit with it.
Topical anesthetic before the injection, and a slow injection. None of this is technology. All of it works.
What to expect
Here’s how the visit actually goes.
No surprises. That’s the whole idea.
01
Tell us when you book
It changes the appointment length and the slot we give you, before you arrive.
02
Talking first
Sitting up, not reclined. We agree your stop signal here.
03
Nitrous, if you want it
Small nose piece, a few minutes to take effect. We adjust the level as we go, so tell us if you want more or less.
04
Oxygen at the end
A few minutes of pure oxygen clears it. You drive yourself home.
Questions
Answered before you ask.
Will I be asleep?
No. Nitrous oxide is a light sedative. You stay awake, aware and able to respond. If you want to be unconscious for dental treatment, that is general anesthesia and we will refer you.
Can I drive afterwards?
Yes. That is the main practical advantage. After a few minutes of oxygen it has cleared, and you can drive and return to work.
Is it safe?
Nitrous oxide has one of the longest safety records in medicine and is used routinely in children. There are a few situations where we would avoid it, which is why we ask about your medical history.
Do you offer IV sedation?
No, and we will not pretend otherwise. Where that is genuinely needed we refer you to a practitioner licensed and equipped for it.
In their words
Thirty years of families who stayed.
Every quote below is a patient's own, unedited, from our reviews.
“We LOVE LOVE LOVE Avalon Dental! Dr. B is the best dentist we’ve ever gone to”
Cassondra H. “Dr B. always does a great job and you don’t feel the work getting done”
Marie T. “The staff always make my experiences with them the best and most comfortable”
Rebecca C.