Are dental visits causing you fear and anxiety? You don’t worry when you come to Experience Dental Implants of Orange County, where our talented dental team incorporates state-of-the-art procedures to provide a relaxed and stress-free dental experience.
We recognize that dental anxiety is a serious issue. We are committed to creating an environment where your comfort is our top priority. Our sedation dentistry options make common treatments easier for those with anxiety, sensitive gag reflexes, or medical conditions.
Sedation dentistry refers to the use of medication while providing dental treatment to help anxious patients feel more relaxed and calm during procedures. The levels of sedation used can vary from minimal sedation (the patient is awake but relaxed) to general anesthesia (patients are completely unconscious).
It is often used for patients who experience high levels of dental anxiety, those who have a low pain threshold, or for more complex dental procedures. The sedative can be administered via inhalation, orally, or intravenously, depending on individual cases and preferences.
Dr. Kramer offers two forms of sedation, both given in our Tustin office by the team that treats you. Both keep you conscious enough to respond and relaxed enough that most patients remember little of the appointment. Which one we recommend depends on how anxious you feel, how long your treatment will take and your medical history, and we settle that with you at a complimentary consultation before anything is scheduled.
You take a prescribed sedative pill about an hour before your appointment, so you arrive already calm. During treatment you feel drowsy and detached from what is happening, but you breathe on your own, can answer questions and can follow simple requests. Many patients doze through their treatment and remember very little of it.
Oral conscious sedation suits patients with moderate anxiety, a sensitive gag reflex or a fear of needles, and it works well for a single implant, an extraction or longer routine treatment. The pill stays in your system for several hours, so you need someone to drive you to and from the office and stay with you for the rest of the day.
Sedative medication is delivered through a small IV line in your arm or hand. It takes effect within minutes, and the dose is adjusted during treatment so your level of relaxation stays exactly where it needs to be. You keep breathing on your own and can respond to your name, but you feel deeply relaxed and almost all patients have no memory of the procedure afterwards.
IV sedation is the choice for severe dental anxiety, several implants or extractions completed in one visit, full-arch treatment such as All-on-4, and patients who have had a bad experience with dental care in the past. Your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen level are monitored throughout. You need a driver and should plan to rest for the remainder of the day.
| Oral Conscious Sedation | IV Sedation | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is given | A pill taken about an hour before your visit | Medication through a small IV line |
| How quickly it works | 30 to 60 minutes | Within minutes |
| How relaxed you will feel | Drowsy and calm; you may doze | Deeply relaxed; most patients sleep through treatment |
| Memory of the visit | Little | Usually none |
| Dose adjusted during treatment | No, the dose is set in advance | Yes, moment to moment |
| Best suited to | Moderate anxiety, gag reflex, a single implant or extraction | Severe anxiety, several implants or extractions, full-arch treatment |
| Driver needed | Yes | Yes |
At your consultation we review your medical history and current medications and confirm your sedation option. For oral conscious sedation you take the pill at home about an hour before your appointment. For IV sedation we ask you not to eat or drink for several hours beforehand and give you the exact time. Wear comfortable clothing with sleeves that roll up, and arrange your driver.
You settle into the chair and we attach a small monitor for heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen. Once the sedation has taken hold, Dr. Kramer numbs the treatment area and begins. You can still respond if we ask you something, but most patients drift and remember little. Sedation appointments are booked with time to spare, so nothing is rushed.
You rest in the office until you are steady on your feet, then your driver takes you home. Expect to feel drowsy for the rest of the day: no driving, no work decisions, no alcohol. You leave with written aftercare instructions for both the sedation and the treatment itself, and our office number if you have questions. Most patients feel back to normal the next morning.
Dr. Mark Kramer, DDS, FICOI, has practiced implant and sedation dentistry for more than 30 years. He is a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and a member of the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation, and his postgraduate training includes the Misch International Implant Institute and Spear Education. Every procedure, including sedation, is done in our Tustin office. Nothing is referred out.
We offer oral conscious sedation and IV sedation, and we do not push one over the other. After reviewing your history and treatment plan, Dr. Kramer recommends the option that fits the procedure and your anxiety level, then explains why.
We are open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm. Anxious patients often prefer a Saturday: there is nothing to rush back to, and it is easier for the family member or friend driving you to come along. Saturday appointments can be booked online or by calling 714-500-7194.
Your first visit is free. You meet Dr. Kramer, go over your medical history, talk through what worries you about treatment and leave with a sedation recommendation and a written cost for the whole plan. Second opinions and cone beam CT scans are complimentary too, and 0% interest financing is available.
Sedation here is most often paired with dental implants and tooth extractions, and it often lets us complete work that would otherwise take several visits in a single appointment. If you have been putting off a failing tooth or a missing one because of nerves, sedation is usually what makes the treatment possible.
Embark on your journey to superior dental health today with Experience Dental Implants of Orange County. Our reputable caring team has decades of pioneering expertise in reconstructive, implant, and sedation dentistry, backed by the professional Dr. Mark Kramer, DDS.
Contact us online or via call today to start redefining your dental experience. Let us show you why we are the trusted leader of sedation and implant dentistry in Orange County.
Yes, when it is given by a trained team that has reviewed your health history, and that is how it works here. Before recommending sedation we go through your medical conditions and medications, and during treatment your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen level are monitored continuously. Dr. Kramer has more than 30 years of experience and is a member of the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation.
Not in the way you would be under general anesthesia, where you are fully unconscious. With both oral conscious sedation and IV sedation you keep breathing on your own and can respond if we speak to you. Most patients feel as though they slept: they drift, lose track of time and remember little or nothing afterwards.
Oral conscious sedation takes 30 to 60 minutes to work and leaves you drowsy for several hours after your appointment. IV sedation works within minutes and its strongest effects fade within about an hour of treatment ending, but you will feel foggy for the rest of the day. With either option, plan on a quiet day at home and expect to feel normal by the next morning.
Sedation is priced separately from the treatment itself, and the fee depends on which option you choose and how long your appointment runs. We give you the exact figure in writing at your complimentary consultation, so there are no surprises. Some dental plans cover sedation when it is medically necessary, and we offer 0% interest financing for the full treatment plan.
Yes. Both are among the most common procedures we perform under sedation, and both options are suitable. For a single implant or extraction, oral conscious sedation is usually enough. For several implants, multiple extractions or full-arch treatment in one visit, Dr. Kramer typically recommends IV sedation.
Yes, for both oral conscious sedation and IV sedation. The medication affects your judgement and reflexes for hours after you feel alert, so you cannot drive, and we confirm who is taking you home before treatment begins.
If you’re looking for a highly-rated and reputable dentist it’s natural to know what other local folks think. Our patients in Tustin and the wider Orange County have some kind words to share to help you make informed decisions.
This restorative solution involves the replacement of missing teeth with artificial ones that look and function like real ones, improving your smile and boosting your confidence!
We understand that tooth extraction can be a daunting process. That's why we use the latest tools and techniques to make it as comfortable as possible. With their gentle approach, our dental experts aim to make it a stress-free experience for you.
Nervous about dental treatments? Don't worry. Our calming sedation dentistry options can make your visit to the dentist entirely relaxed and pain-free.
This restorative solution involves the replacement of missing teeth with artificial ones that look and function like real ones, improving your smile and boosting your confidence!
