House Call Dental Sedation Dentistry in San Francisco

We offer the full spectrum of sleep (sedation) dentistry for patients who are mostly healthy and don’t require treatment in the hospital. In-office sedation may be appropriate for those who have but not limited to any of the following:

• Severe dental phobia/fear
• Cognitive or general anxiety disorders
• Sensitive gag reflex
• Medical or age-related conditions that compromise his/her/their ability to remain still to ensure the utmost safety during care

Types of in-office sedation we offer include:

• Nitrous/Laughing Gas

Used for over 100 years, this is one of the safest and most effective ways to provide some level of anxiolysis during dental treatment. It can be used on people of all ages with very few contraindications. By breathing through a nasal hood, nitrous allows the patient to be awake/aware with all responses and functions intact while reducing anxiety. Nitrous oxide is quick onset and quick to leave your system, so you can arrive to and leave your appointment independently. 

• Oral Conscious Sedation

By taking a pill self-administered by the patient, this level of sedation also leaves you awake/aware and can at times be combined with nitrous/laugh gas for patients with higher levels of anxiety. Unlike nitrous/laughing gas, we do require the patient to be escorted to and from the appointment if undergoing a procedure with oral conscious sedation.

• Intravenous (IV) Sedation

Always administered by a dental anesthesiologist, IV sedation allows the patient to be deeply sedated, often to the level of sleep, while still enabling them to breathe on their own. This offers the next level of sedation for patients with extreme phobia or mental/physical/developmental limitations that inhibit them from being able to stay still/remain cooperative during treatments. 

• General Anesthesia

The most invasive of all in-office sedation techniques, general anesthesia is administered through an intravenous line by a dental anesthesiologist. This level of sedation will put the patient into a complete level of unconsciousness and requires nasal intubation to assist in breathing. Patients who need extensive treatment may find this to be the most appropriate option and can return home the same day within a few hours after completion of the dentistry.