Sedation dentistry · Houston
Calm, comfortable dental care — with laughing gas or IV sedation.
Who sedation helps
Sedation can help if any of this sounds like you.
Dental anxiety or fear
Sounds, smells or past experiences make it hard to sit in the chair.
Longer surgery
Several extractions, wisdom teeth, implants or All-on-4 in one visit.
Strong gag reflex
Sedation makes impressions, X-rays and treatment much easier.
Lots of work at once
Get more done in fewer visits instead of many short appointments.
Hard to get numb
Relaxing helps the local anesthetic work and keeps you comfortable.
Trouble sitting still
Back or jaw discomfort makes long appointments difficult.
Nervous children
Laughing gas can help children relax after the dentist evaluates them.
Emergency visits
Laughing gas can often calm an urgent visit; IV sedation is planned ahead.
Your options
Three levels of comfort, matched to you and your treatment.
Local anesthetic
Included with every procedure
- Best for
- Most fillings, crowns and simple extractions.
- How it feels
- You're fully awake. The area is numb, so you feel pressure but not pain.
- Afterwards
- Numbness wears off in a few hours. You can drive yourself.
- Who can have it
- Almost everyone.
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas)
Shorter procedures
- Best for
- Shorter visits, mild to moderate anxiety, cleanings, fillings and simple extractions.
- How it feels
- You breathe it through a small nose mask. Within minutes you feel calm, light and relaxed, while still awake and able to talk.
- Afterwards
- It wears off within minutes of breathing oxygen. Most adults can drive themselves home once the dentist confirms they feel normal.
- Who can have it
- Adults and children. Children are evaluated by the dentist first.
IV sedation (conscious sedation)
Longer surgery · adults 18+
- Best for
- Longer surgery: wisdom teeth, multiple extractions, dental implants and All-on-4. Also for severe dental anxiety.
- How it feels
- Medication is given through a small IV in your arm or hand. You're deeply relaxed and drowsy and can still respond, but most patients remember little of the visit.
- Afterwards
- You'll feel drowsy for the rest of the day. An adult must drive you home and stay with you.
- Who can have it
- Adults 18 and older only, after a medical history review. Not offered to patients under 18.
Nitrous oxide
Laughing gas: gentle, quick and easy to recover from.
Nitrous oxide is mixed with oxygen and breathed through a small nose mask. Your dentist adjusts the level during the visit, and you stay awake and in control. When treatment is done, you breathe pure oxygen for a few minutes and the effects fade quickly. For shorter procedures, most patients choose laughing gas, and it works very well. At our office, laughing gas is given by Dr. Mofid or Dr. Khorram, who are trained and certified in nitrous oxide sedation.
- Benefits: starts working in minutes, can be adjusted during the visit, and wears off quickly.
- For children: can be used for younger patients, but the dentist evaluates the child and reviews their medical history first.
- Possible side effects: usually mild and short-lived: light-headedness, tingling, headache or nausea. Eating a light meal beforehand helps.
IV sedation
IV conscious sedation: for longer surgery, planned around you.
For longer surgery, IV sedation lets you rest comfortably through the procedure. Depending on how complex your case is, it's provided by a visiting licensed dentist who holds a Texas Level 3 (moderate parenteral) sedation permit, or by a full anesthesia team with an anesthesiologist and an anesthesia nurse. It's always scheduled in advance for your appointment. It is conscious sedation, not general anesthesia: you keep breathing on your own and can respond, but you're deeply relaxed, and many patients remember very little afterwards.
- Adults only: we do not offer IV sedation to patients under 18.
- Benefits: deep relaxation for long or complex surgery. More treatment can often be done in one visit.
- Possible side effects: drowsiness and grogginess for the rest of the day, bruising or soreness where the IV was placed, nausea, and, rarely, slowed breathing or allergic reactions. This is why you are monitored throughout.
- Planning: you'll get written instructions about eating, drinking and your medications before the visit, and you'll need an adult to drive you home.
Safety first
How we keep sedation safe and predictable.
- 1
Medical history review
Before any sedation, we carefully review your health conditions, medications, supplements, allergies and past reactions to anesthesia.
- 2
The right level for you
Your dentist recommends local anesthetic, laughing gas or IV sedation based on your health and your treatment. Children are evaluated before nitrous oxide, and IV sedation is for adults only.
- 3
Monitored the whole time
Your breathing, oxygen level and vital signs are monitored during sedation, and the team stays with you from start to finish.
- 4
Recovery & going home
With laughing gas, most people feel normal within minutes. After IV sedation, you rest until you're ready, then go home with a responsible adult and written aftercare instructions.
Before your visit
Please tell us about your health.
Sedation is only offered after a thorough and careful medical history evaluation. Some conditions don't rule sedation out, but they change how we plan it. Tell your dentist if any of these apply to you:
- Pregnancy, or you might be pregnant
- Heart, lung or breathing conditions (including COPD, asthma or sleep apnea)
- A cold, blocked nose or recent ear or sinus surgery (affects laughing gas)
- Every medication and supplement you take, including sleep aids, pain medication and blood thinners
- Past reactions to anesthesia or sedation, and any allergies
- Alcohol or recreational drug use, which can change how sedation affects you
Used with most procedures
Sedation options for almost any treatment.
Cost
Clear sedation pricing, quoted before treatment.
IV sedation, first hour
Adults 18+, given by a visiting dentist with a Level 3 permit or an anesthesia team
$1,000
IV sedation, each additional 15 minutes
Most visits take 1–2 hours
$250
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas)
Included in your written estimate
Ask us
Local anesthetic
With every procedure
Included
Fees are for planning and may change. Some PPO plans cover part of sedation for certain surgical procedures, and we check your benefits for you. 0% financing options are available on approval. Starting estimates as of October 2026, not offers or contracts. These are minimum fees and may increase after your exam, and related services may cost extra. Your exact fee is set in a written treatment plan, and treatment is at the dentist's professional discretion. Pricing terms
Ask which sedation option is right for you.
Call (832) 831-9101 or book online. We'll review your health history and explain your options before any treatment.
Patient reviews
Houston families trust us with their smiles.
1,000+
five-star Google reviews
Excerpts from public reviews on Google, Yelp and Healthgrades. Individual experiences vary.
Drag or use the arrows to browse · tap or press Enter on a review to enlarge
Short excerpts from public patient reviews, shown with the reviewer's first name and initial.
FAQ
Sedation questions, answered.
Will I be asleep during IV sedation?
What's the difference between laughing gas and IV sedation?
Can children have sedation?
Who gives IV sedation at Texas Dental Center?
Can I drive home after sedation?
Do I need to stop eating before sedation?
Is sedation safe?
How much does sedation cost?
Can I get sedation for an emergency visit?
Which procedures can be done with sedation?
The information on this page is for general education only and is not dental or medical advice. Only a licensed dentist can decide, after an exam and a review of your medical history, whether a treatment or sedation option is right for you.