Your first visit to our practice establishes a vital foundation for our relationship with you. During the first visit, we make sure to obtain important background information and give you time to get to know our staff. To understand what to expect from your first visit to our practice, please read through this page.

Our friendly staff is dedicated to caring for you and your entire family's oral health and well-being. We take the time to create a personalized treatment for each patient and we offer a wide range of services. It is our goal to make your visit with us an extremely pleasant one and to send you home with a beautiful and healthy smile.

Your first visit to our office is designed to get you better acquainted with all we offer as well as introduce you to our caring staff. On your first visit, we will review your medical and dental histories and evaluate your oral health. We will take digital x-rays of your teeth and explain to you whether or not you will require any dental treatment.

Dental anxiety affects an estimated 30 to 40 million people in the United States. If you are among the many who struggle with fear or anxiety when it comes time to visit the dentist, the office of Buena Park Smile Dental can help. We're dedicated to our patients' care and comfort. We offer safe, controlled sedation techniques to alleviate anxiety and make it easier and less stressful to maintain excellent oral health.

If you have dental anxiety or dental phobia, you may find yourself skipping checkups as well as avoiding getting the care you need. However, letting fear get in the way of dental treatment not only takes a toll on your oral health but can also affect your overall well-being. The good news is that sedation dentistry enables anxious patients and those who have difficulty sitting for treatment the benefits of maintaining optimal oral health. By creating a deep sense of calm and relaxation, dental sedation helps ease any fears and apprehension associated with care.

Don't let fear get in the way of maintaining a healthy, beautiful smile any longer! As skilled and compassionate providers of care, we'll explain the types of dental sedation we offer and answer all your questions throughout the course of treatment. In addition to helping you feel completely at ease, sedation typically makes a lengthy procedure feel like it's over in just a few minutes. Although you'll feel fully relaxed while sedated, you'll still be able to respond to verbal cues from our dentist. You merely won't feel bothered at all by the moment-to-moment details of treatment. We'll inform you if the type of sedation you're receiving requires someone to accompany you to the office and home following treatment.

Sedation dentistry offers individuals with general anxiety about going to the dentist or fears about a specific dental procedure the opportunity to have a stress free and more comfortable experience. By utilizing safe and controlled sedation techniques before a dental procedure, the patient is eased into a state of complete relaxation. This step eliminates any discomfort, pain, and preoperative anxiety that may be associated with a particular dental visit. With sedation dentistry, patients typically feel more at ease post-operatively as they have little or no memory of the actual moment-to-moment dental procedure.

At the office of Buena Park Smile Dental, we are committed to creating a comfortable and caring environment for our patients. While we always use a local anesthetic to thoroughly numb the treatment area so that patients do not feel any discomfort, some individuals may feel they need an additional option to reduce their anxiety and have a more relaxed experience. For these patients who are apprehensive about dental work or a particular procedure, we'll discuss safe and effective options in dental sedation.

At the office of Buena Park Smile Dental, we provide skilled, experienced care that's tailored to the individual needs of each patient. Our dental team strives to make every visit to our office a positive and informative experience. Depending on a patient's specific needs and relevant medical history, we'll discuss the most appropriate method of dental sedation and the services our office provides.

It's essential to understand the difference between the methods of conscious sedation performed in a dental office and general anesthesia provided in a hospital setting. For most patients that choose or require dental sedation, conscious sedation will suffice.

With conscious sedation, a patient experiences greater comfort and relaxation during a dental procedure while remaining aware of verbal commands and responsive to specific stimuli. Breathing is unassisted and cardiovascular function remains stable. On the other hand, general anesthesia puts patients in a deep state of sleep where they are not responsive to stimuli. General anesthesia is reserved for patients who cannot tolerate the provision of care with any other form of sedation and is administered by an anesthesiologist in a hospital setting.

Commonly referred to as 'laughing gas,' nitrous oxide is used as a mild sedative to reduce anxiety and facilitate relaxation during dental procedures. It 's inhaled through a small mask over the nose and administered for optimal safety in combination with oxygen. Used for the duration of a dental procedure, nitrous oxide gets turned off as work comes to an end. Once the laughing gas gets turn off, the effects wear off very quickly, and the patient returns to a state of complete awareness. Beyond addressing mild to moderate anxiety levels, inhalation sedation can help reduce gagging in patients with a strong gag reflex.

IV Sedation involves a sedative that is administered intravenously or directly into a vein. It is indicated when more profound sedation is required. This type of sedation starts to work very quickly and can get readily modified to regulate the patient's state of consciousness as well as continued for as long as the procedure requires.

Sedation dentistry offers patients with general anxiety or fears about a dental procedure the opportunity to have a more comfortable and stress-free experience. By utilizing safe and controlled sedation techniques, the patient is eased into a state of complete relaxation before the procedure. This approach eliminates discomfort, pain, and preoperative anxiety and typically makes patients feel more at ease post-operatively, as they have little or no memory of the actual moment-to-moment procedure.

Local anesthesia involves an injection directly into or close to the area where a procedure is being performed. While it eliminates any sensation of pain in the targeted area, it does not affect your state of mind or level of anxiety. When a patient receives sedation, additional medications to ease anxiety and promote relaxation are employed in advance of local anesthesia. In this way, both the stress and discomfort associated with a procedure are eliminated. Sedation can be administered in various forms based upon patient needs and the dentist or dental anesthesiologist's recommendations.

Choosing the most appropriate sedation method for a procedure depends on a variety of factors such as a patient's medical history and their level of anxiety. Dental sedation can come in the form of nitrous oxide sedation, oral conscious sedation, and IV sedation. Certain patients receiving comprehensive treatment or undergoing a complicated surgical procedure may require general anesthesia in a hospital setting.

It's no secret that patients who feel at ease during dental visits are more likely to pursue the care they need. If you experience significant anxiety about trips to the dentist or a particular procedure, dental sedation offers a solution for keeping your smile in tip-top condition while experiencing a more relaxing and stress-free visit. At the office of Buena Park Smile Dental, we're sensitive to our patients' needs and dedicated to ensuring their comfort. Based on your level of anxiety, your medical history, and the dental treatment that's required, we'll explain your options in dental sedation and help you select the safest method that's right for you.

Sedation dentistry offers a safe and effective way to provide the required dental care while reducing a patient's anxiety and ensuring optimal comfort. Before a type of dental sedation gets recommended, all factors, including a patient's medical history, level of anxiety, dental needs, and other relevant factors, are carefully reviewed. Every method of sedation is provided and supervised by a qualified, trained dentist or physician and administered in the appropriate setting.

Keep in mind that it's always wise to invest in your smile and prevent bigger and more costly problems down the road. While many insurance plans do not typically cover sedation dentistry, it may be approved if a patient has a disability or medical condition that makes it impossible to receive care otherwise. General anesthesia might also be covered when it's a medical necessity to have treatment.

It's always best to contact your insurance provider for clarification and an exact explanation of your dental benefits and coverage. At the office of Buena Park Smile Dental, our goal is to help patients get the care they need without additional stress or delay. We're happy to answer all your financial questions and discuss all your options for getting the care you require.

If you are looking for a highly trained and experienced dentist in Buena Park, you have come to the right place. At our practice, you will receive the highest quality dental care. Our dental office uses the latest state-of-the-art equipment and cutting edge technology and we uphold the strictest sterilization techniques. We know that many people may feel anxious about coming to the dentist, so it is our goal to make your visit with us as pain and anxiety free as possible. We view it as our mission to educate our patients about all of their oral health care options and to help guide them to choose a treatment plan that is most suitable and appropriate for their needs.

We accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover credit cards as well as cash and personal checks. We also offer low-interest financing through CareCredit. We accept all PPO insurance plans. To find out if we accept your plan, please call our office.