Will I feel any pain during sedation dentistry?

No. With nitrous oxide you'll receive local anesthetic for the dental work while the nitrous keeps you relaxed. With general anesthesia, you are fully asleep and feel nothing during the procedure.

Can I drive home after sedation?

After nitrous oxide, yes — it wears off within minutes. After general anesthesia, you must have a responsible adult drive you home.

How much does sedation dentistry cost in Temecula?

Nitrous oxide starts at $100. General anesthesia is $900 for the first hour, then prorated every 15 minutes based on actual procedure time.

Does dental insurance cover sedation?

Coverage varies by plan. Some PPO plans cover sedation when medically necessary, such as with oral surgery or extensive procedures. Winchester Dental Group verifies benefits before your appointment.

Sedation Dentistry · Temecula, CA

The dentist doesn't have to be something you dread.

Whether you need a little help relaxing or you'd rather sleep through the whole thing — we offer two safe, proven sedation options at Winchester Dental Group, including general anesthesia administered by a board-certified MD anesthesiologist. No judgment. No pressure. Just dental care you can finally show up for.

Book Consultation Call (951) 633-7509

Board-certified MD anesthesiologist

25+ years serving Temecula

Most PPOs & Tricare welcome

Sunbit & CareCredit financing

You're not alone

It's okay that you've been putting this off.

About one in three adults avoids the dentist because of fear, anxiety, or a bad experience that stuck with them. If any of this sounds like you, sedation dentistry was built for you:

It's been years — maybe more than a decade — since your last dental visit
The sound of the drill or the smell of a dental office triggers real anxiety
You have a strong gag reflex that makes routine cleanings difficult
You had a traumatic dental experience as a kid that you've never shaken
You need a big procedure and the idea of being awake for it is a non-starter
Local anesthetic doesn't seem to work well on you
You just want to walk in, fall asleep, and wake up with the work done

You don't owe anyone an explanation. We've heard every version of this story, and we'll help you get through it.

We've heard every version of this story. We're not here to judge — we're here to help you get through it.

Winchester Dental Group

Your sedation options

Two safe options. You pick what fits.

Most dental practices try to offer three or four sedation tiers and end up doing none of them especially well. We offer two — light and deep — and we do both properly.

Option 01 From $100

Light Sedation

Nitrous Oxide ("Laughing Gas")

You breathe a mix of nitrous oxide and oxygen through a small nose mask. Within a couple of minutes you feel relaxed, a little floaty, and the time passes faster. You're awake and able to talk to us the whole time.

Best for Mild anxiety, routine procedures
State Awake & responsive
Recovery ~5 minutes, drive yourself home
Given by Dr. King & trained team

Wears off completely within minutes of the mask coming off — you can go back to work the same day.

Option 02 $900 / 1st hr

True Sleep Dentistry

General Anesthesia

Medication is given through an IV by a separately licensed, board-certified MD anesthesiologist. You go fully to sleep — the same anesthesia used in a hospital operating room. Dr. King performs the dentistry while the anesthesiologist monitors your vitals from start to finish.

Best for Severe anxiety, complex procedures
State Fully asleep, MD-monitored
Recovery Driver required, rest 24 hrs
Pricing $900 first hour, pro-rated by 15 min

Available for teens and adults (generally 12+, anyone who can safely tolerate an IV). Call us to discuss younger patients.

Why this matters

An MD anesthesiologist — not a dentist doubling as one.

Most dentists offering "sleep dentistry" or "IV sedation" administer the medication themselves, with a permit and some training. That's legal, and it's safe in the right hands. But it's not the same as what happens in a hospital operating room. At Winchester Dental Group, general anesthesia is provided by a board-certified MD anesthesiologist — a physician whose entire specialty is keeping patients safely asleep. Dr. King focuses on the dentistry. The anesthesiologist focuses on you.

01A dedicated MD watching your vitals continuously throughout the entire procedure
02Hospital-grade monitoring equipment and emergency response capability on site
03Anesthesia medications dosed and adjusted in real time by a specialist, not a generalist
04The same standard of care you'd get in a surgical center or operating room

Your sedation team

The people who'll take care of you.

Your Dentist

Dr. Matthew King, DDS

Dr. King has practiced dentistry for over eight years and leads all sedation cases at Winchester Dental Group. He graduated with top honors and built his career around one principle: nobody should have to live with broken or painful teeth because they're afraid to get them fixed. He'll walk you through every step — and he won't rush you into a decision.

DDS ADA Member ICOI Trained CDA Member

M.D.

Your Anesthesiologist

Dr. Bronson & Dr. LeClair, MD

Our general anesthesia cases are handled by Dr. Bronson and Dr. LeClair — both board-certified MD anesthesiologists. They are independently licensed physicians whose sole focus during your procedure is keeping you safely and comfortably asleep, using the same protocols and monitoring you'd see in a hospital surgical suite.

MD Board Certified Anesthesiology

What to expect

Exactly how the process works.

No surprises. Here's what an appointment with us looks like, from first call to the day after your procedure.

Consultation

Start with a low-pressure conversation with Dr. King. He'll listen, look at any imaging you have, walk through your options, and answer every question. If sedation isn't right for you, he'll tell you.

Health Review

For general anesthesia, we go through your medical history together — medications, allergies, conditions, prior surgeries. The anesthesiologist reviews this in advance to design a plan that's safe for you.

Day Before

You'll get clear written instructions. Nitrous: minimal prep — eat lightly, no alcohol. General anesthesia: fast for several hours and arrange a driver — same as any surgical anesthesia.

Procedure Day

Nitrous: you relax, work gets done, you go home. GA: the anesthesiologist meets you, places the IV, you go to sleep. Dr. King performs the dentistry while you're monitored continuously.

Recovery

Nitrous: 5 minutes after the mask comes off, you're good. GA: you'll rest in our recovery area until awake and stable, then your driver takes you home. Most patients are back to normal within 24 hours.

Follow-Up

We check in the next day to make sure you're feeling okay and to answer any questions that come up after the appointment.

Straightforward pricing

No surprise bills. Financing if you need it.

Sedation pricing is separate from the cost of the dental work itself. After your consult, Dr. King provides a written treatment plan with the full cost — sedation included — so you can decide with all the information in front of you.

Most PPO dental insurance accepted (Delta Dental, Aetna, more)
Tricare military families welcome
In-house membership plan for uninsured patients
Sunbit financing — quick approval, no hard credit check
CareCredit — extended payment plans with 0% APR options

See Financing Options

Sedation Pricing

Nitrous Oxide

Light sedation, added to procedure

from $100

General Anesthesia — 1st hour

Administered by MD anesthesiologist

$900

Additional time

Pro-rated every 15 min, by actual procedure time

prorated

Common questions

The questions almost everyone asks.

Is sedation dentistry safe?

Yes — when it's done properly by trained providers. Nitrous oxide has one of the longest safety records of any medication in dentistry. General anesthesia at our practice is administered by a board-certified MD anesthesiologist using the same equipment and protocols you'd find in a hospital operating room. We review your full medical history before any sedation appointment.

Will I feel any pain?

No. With nitrous, you'll still get a local anesthetic for the dental work, but the nitrous keeps you relaxed and time passes faster. With general anesthesia, you're fully asleep and feel nothing during the procedure.

Will I remember anything?

With nitrous, you'll probably remember being there but the details will feel hazy. With general anesthesia, you won't remember the procedure at all.

Can I drive myself home?

After nitrous, yes — it wears off within minutes. After general anesthesia, no. You'll need a responsible adult to drive you home and ideally stay with you for a few hours.

Will my insurance cover sedation?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no — it depends on your specific plan and the procedure. Some PPO plans cover sedation when it's medically necessary (for example, with oral surgery or extensive procedures). Our team will verify your benefits before your appointment so there are no surprises.

Is this safe if I'm pregnant or have a medical condition?

Sedation choices depend on your specific situation. Some options aren't recommended during pregnancy. If you have heart, lung, or other significant medical conditions, the anesthesiologist will review your case carefully before approving general anesthesia. This is exactly what the consultation is for — bring all of it up and we'll figure out together what's appropriate.

How long does sedation last?

Nitrous wears off in about 5 minutes after the mask comes off. After general anesthesia, you'll feel groggy for a few hours after waking up. Most patients are fully back to normal within 24 hours.

Can you do all my dental work in one visit?

Often yes — that's one of the biggest advantages of sedation. Patients who have been avoiding the dentist for years often have multiple things that need attention. With general anesthesia, we can sometimes handle everything in a single appointment instead of spreading it across many visits.

Do I have to commit to anything at the consult?

No. The consultation is a conversation — zero pressure. Lots of patients book a consult just to ask questions and decide later. That's completely fine.

Take the first step

You've already done the hardest part.

You're on this page. That means you're thinking about it. Most patients who've avoided the dentist for years say the hardest part wasn't the procedure — it was picking up the phone. Let's make that part as low-pressure as possible.