Do you suffer from anxiety at the thought of going to the dentist? Fear is the number one reason that may prevent someone from visiting the dentist for necessary dental work. Some just do not like the idea of needles and drilling. Others have had a previous traumatic experience at the dentist. If you are one of these individuals, or if you need a complex dental procedure, sedation can make dentistry more comfortable. Costa Mesa, CA area patients are welcome to visit Smiles4OC to learn about a variety of sedation methods including a popular choice, oral conscious sedation.
- Nitrous oxide
- Oral conscious sedation
- IV sedation
- General anesthesia
All about sedation dentistry at Smiles4OC

How important is sedation dentistry at Smiles4OC?
At Smiles4OC, we believe in making you as comfortable as possible during your dental appointment. Depending on your medical conditions, anxiety level, or just your preference, we can make your dental appointment easy.
What are the sedation choices available at Smiles4OC?
The choices that we offer at Smiles4OC are having your appointment scheduled using a local anesthetic. If you are comfortable with that, we proceed. Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is also a good option and is the choice of our patients often we use it for their hygiene or a restorative appointment.
Then there is the oral conscious sedation. We dispense a medication that you need to take one hour before your appointment. When you arrive at the office, we will get you comfortable in the chair with a warm blanket and a neck roll. Combined with the laughing gas, you will be relaxed while we perform your dentistry.
Dr. Thomas Rolfes, is one of the few licensed general dentists in the state of California that can provide IV sedation dentistry. With IV sedation, you are asleep. So, we can perform long appointments.
If you have a high level of anxiety, an exceptionally long appointment, or a small child that won’t be able to sit still, then we would recommend general anesthesia. For our patients that require general anesthesia, we have Dr. Terry Yun come in. He’s a licensed general anesthesiologist