Sleep Dentistry in Woodland Hills

What Is Sleep Dentistry?

Sleep dentistry — also called sedation dentistry — refers to the use of medication to help patients relax, or sleep completely, during dental treatment. It is not the same as treatment for sleep apnea or snoring; sleep dentistry addresses comfort and anxiety during a procedure itself, allowing patients to undergo complex or lengthy treatment, including full-arch implant surgery, without fear or discomfort.

First Dental Implant Center offers a full range of sedation options — from mild relaxation to complete general anesthesia — so that no patient avoids necessary treatment, including All-on-X full-arch implants, out of fear or anxiety.

Sedation Options Available

Nitrous Oxide

A mild, fast-acting sedative inhaled through a small mask. Patients remain conscious and aware but feel deeply relaxed. Effects wear off within minutes of removing the mask, allowing patients to drive themselves home after treatment.

Oral Sedation

A prescribed sedative taken before your appointment to produce a deeper state of relaxation. Patients remain responsive but typically have little to no memory of the procedure afterward. A driver is required, as the effects last several hours.

IV Sedation

Sedative medication administered directly through an IV line, allowing for precise, continuously adjusted relaxation throughout longer or more involved procedures. Patients are deeply relaxed and typically have no memory of the treatment.

General Anesthesia

For patients who prefer to be fully asleep during treatment, or for cases involving extensive surgical work such as full-arch implant placement, general anesthesia is available — administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist, not a dental staff member. Patients are unconscious and unaware throughout the procedure, and recovery is closely monitored before discharge.

Anesthesia Administered by a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist

General anesthesia and IV sedation at First Dental Implant Center are administered by Dr. Anoosh Javaherian, M.D., a board-certified anesthesiologist — not by the dental team. This distinction matters: administering anesthesia is its own medical specialty, and having a dedicated, independently credentialed anesthesiologist present means your safety during sedation is managed by a physician trained specifically for that purpose.

Dr. Javaherian is a graduate of UCLA and earned his Doctor of Medicine from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where he also completed his anesthesiology residency. He has more than nine years of experience providing IV sedation and general anesthesia in dental offices, and has cared for thousands of patients with a wide range of medical needs — allowing patients to undergo complex dental treatment with confidence, comfort, and the highest level of safety.

Patients and families consistently describe Dr. Javaherian's approach as calm and compassionate, with meticulous attention to patient care from consultation through recovery.

• Board-certified anesthesiologist — a distinct medical specialty from dentistry
• Doctor of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC
• Anesthesiology residency completed at USC
• 9+ years providing IV sedation and general anesthesia in dental office settings
• Experience caring for both children and adults with a wide range of medical needs

Meet Dr. Javaherian

Who Benefits from Sleep Dentistry?

Sedation and general anesthesia are not only for patients with dental anxiety, though that is one of the most common reasons patients choose this option. Sleep dentistry is also valuable for:

• Patients with significant dental anxiety or fear that has caused them to delay treatment
• Patients undergoing extensive procedures, such as full-arch implant placement or multiple extractions in a single visit
• Patients with a strong gag reflex that makes treatment difficult while fully awake
• Patients with certain medical or developmental conditions that make cooperation during treatment difficult
• Children requiring dental treatment who cannot tolerate the procedure while awake

Ask About Sedation Options

Sedation for Full-Arch Implant Surgery

Full-arch implant procedures, including same-day Teeth in One Day cases, involve more extensive surgical work than a routine dental visit. Many patients choose IV sedation or general anesthesia for these procedures — not because the surgery itself is more painful, but because remaining comfortable and still throughout a longer appointment makes for a smoother, less stressful experience.

Dr. Kass Nourishad's surgical planning, supported by 3D cone beam CT imaging, is designed to be as efficient and precise as possible — and sedation options ensure that precision is matched by comfort throughout the procedure.

Safety First

Every sedation and anesthesia option at First Dental Implant Center is administered with patient safety as the foremost priority. Dr. Javaherian conducts a thorough pre-procedure medical evaluation to determine the safest and most appropriate sedation level for each patient, and monitors patients continuously throughout treatment and recovery.

Patients undergoing IV sedation or general anesthesia will receive specific pre- and post-procedure instructions, including fasting requirements and arranging transportation home, which will be reviewed in detail prior to your appointment.