Skip to content
Mon-Wed: 8AM-5PM | Thu-Fri: 8AM-6PM | Sat: 8AM-2PM | Sun: Closed
Schedule Online
Dental Post
March 14, 2026 Dr. Merat Ostovar 5 min read

Dental Anxiety? Here’s How Sedation Dentistry Can Help

If the thought of sitting in a dental chair makes your heart race, you’re not alone. Dental anxiety affects an estimated 36% of Americans, and 12% experience dental phobia severe enough to avoid dental care entirely. At Aloha Dental Specialty Center, we specialize in sedation dentistry precisely because we believe that fear should never prevent anyone from getting the dental care they need.

Understanding Dental Anxiety

Dental anxiety isn’t a sign of weakness โ€” it’s a real, common, and completely understandable response. Common triggers include:

  • Previous painful dental experiences
  • Fear of needles or injections
  • Sensitive gag reflex
  • Feeling of loss of control
  • Embarrassment about dental condition
  • The sounds, smells, and sensations of dental procedures

Your Sedation Options

We offer three levels of sedation, tailored to your anxiety level and procedure:

Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) โ€” Mild Relaxation

Inhaled through a comfortable nose mask, nitrous oxide provides gentle relaxation within minutes. You remain fully conscious and responsive, but feel calm and comfortable. Effects wear off within 5 minutes โ€” you can drive yourself home.

Oral Sedation โ€” Moderate Relaxation

A prescription sedative taken about an hour before your appointment produces deep relaxation and drowsiness. You’ll be awake but may have little memory of the procedure. You’ll need someone to drive you home.

IV Sedation โ€” Deep Relaxation

Administered intravenously, IV sedation produces a deep state of relaxation. Most patients have no memory of their procedure and feel like it lasted only minutes. This is our most popular option for complex procedures and severely anxious patients. You’ll need a driver.

Your Safety Is Our Priority

During any level of sedation, our team continuously monitors your vital signs โ€” heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and oxygen levels. Our doctors maintain current certifications in advanced life support and sedation techniques.

Don’t let dental anxiety control your health. Call (503) 822-0096 and let us show you how comfortable dental care can be.

Why Patients Choose Our Practice

Advanced 3D Diagnostics

Three-dimensional imaging supports more accurate planning than 2D X-rays. Our office uses Cone Beam Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) to generate detailed images of the jaw and dental anatomy. CBCT supports identifying anatomical landmarks relevant to treatment planning. This supports predictable clinical outcomes.

Supportive Healing Techniques

To support your recovery, we champion evidence-based supportive techniques. Utilizing your own blood, we centrifuge the sample in our clinic to form Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF). This dense, bio-active membrane is packed with concentrations of growth factors (VEGF) and white blood cells. Where appropriate for the case, supportive techniques may help with post-operative comfort and recovery.

Multi-Disciplinary Care Approach

Aloha Dental Specialty Center brings general dentistry, board-certified endodontics, and pediatric dentistry together under one roof. General dentists across Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Aloha refer to our team for cases that benefit from in-house specialty coverage.

Comprehensive Guide: Understanding Dental Anxiety? Here’s How Sedation Dentistry Can Help

The physiological impact of Dental Anxiety? Here’s How Sedation Dentistry Can Help cannot be understated. Through years of surgical and restorative experience, our team has witnessed firsthand how deteriorating oral health systematically destroys systemic cardiovascular stability. If you reside in the Portland metro, specifically navigating the US-26 corridor or the immediate Beaverton/Hillsboro border, you do not need to settle for standard general dentistry when confronting this issue.

Financial Advocacy & Cost Navigation

We understand that addressing Dental Anxiety? Here’s How Sedation Dentistry Can Help involves serious financial consideration. Unlike corporate networks that obscure pricing, our dedicated financial coordination team provides immediate, total transparency. We actively partner with CareCredit and Cherry to offer deeply flexible, extremely low-interest monthly financing. Additionally, our insurance support specialists aggressively submit detailed 3D CBCT narratives to your specific carrierโ€”such as Delta Dental, Moda Health, or MetLifeโ€”forcibly maximizing your legitimate coverage and minimizing unexpected out-of-pocket expenses. We also offer our exclusive ADSC Dental Savings Plan for uninsured patients, guaranteeing you receive the absolute highest standard of local specialty care without comprehensive financial barriers.

Post-Operative Recovery Protocols

Achieving long-term success with Dental Anxiety? Here’s How Sedation Dentistry Can Help requires absolute compliance with our elite post-operative parameters. We mandate robust, specialized anti-inflammatory protocols during the acute 72-hour phase to physically prevent swelling and halt pain cascades. Utilizing advanced chlorhexidine rinses and maintaining a strict, biologically-safe diet guarantees that the delicate soft tissues properly fuse. Should any unexpected complications arise, our dedicated 24/7 post-operative triage line is available to strictly protect your systemic health.


Schedule a Visit

Schedule Your Consultation

When you’re considering complex dental treatment, we’re happy to walk through your options. Dr. Ostovar and our multi-disciplinary dental team are located right here in the Tualatin Valley corridor. Contact our experienced clinical team today to secure your comprehensive 3D CBCT diagnostic assessment.

📍 Clinic Location: 18455 SW Alexander St, Suite B, Beaverton, OR 97006  |  Serving the Portland Metro area.

Conveniently located in Beaverton, OR โ€” serving Aloha, Hillsboro, and the Portland west side.

Related: Dental implants | Oral surgery | Cosmetic dentistry at Aloha Dental Specialty Center

Se habla Espaรฑol โ€” Llame al (503) 822-0096

Ready to Get Started?

Schedule your consultation with Dr. Merat Ostovar today. We're here to answer your questions and create a personalized treatment plan.

(503) 822-0096 ๐Ÿ“… Schedule Online
๐Ÿ“ž
Call Us (503) 822-0096
๐Ÿ•
Office Hours Mon-Wed: 8AM-5PM | Thu-Fri: 8AM-6PM | Sat: 8AM-2PM | Sun: Closed
๐Ÿ“…
Schedule Online Book Appointment โ†’
Call Now Book Online
๐Ÿ“… Schedule Now

Schedule Your Consultation

Aloha Dental Specialty Center โ€” Your Trusted Multi-Disciplinary Dental Team