Chandler Gentle Dentist

Dr. Walden has dedicated his practice to helping people with dental anxiety, and he offers several ways to help with that. He starts with a gentle chairside manner. For those who need more than that, he offers several levels of sedation.

Dental Anxiety

Estimates range from a third of patients to 60% who have dental anxiety. It’s a major reason that people avoid dental care. A primary reason for anxiety is a previous traumatic dental experience. You need a dentist who understands this and is willing to be patient in helping you deal with it.

What Makes Us a Gentle Dentist

We’ve been treating anxious patients for years. We understand and want to help. It starts with our calming, supportive staff. We’ll make sure you understand your treatment plan and are comfortable at each appointment.

A common source of anxiety is the novocain shot. Fortunately, Drs. Walden and Beavers have years of experience giving the shot with a gentle touch and using the thinnest possible needle.

You can also opt for sedation during your procedure.

Gentle Dentistry with Nitrous Oxide Sedation

Sedation is a valuable tool for managing pain during dental work. When you’re anxious, painful stimuli hurt more. Local anesthetic alone can’t overcome this. What does work is a combination of sedation and novocain. Once you’re relaxed, the local anesthetic works very well. Dr. Walden offers three kinds of sedation: nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, and IV sedation. You can select the one you feel most comfortable with.

Nitrous oxide sedation is commonly known as laughing gas. Many patients appreciate the short-term effects of this sedative since it lets you leave the office and immediately continue with your day without any residual fatigue or confusion.

For this mild option, we’ll place a mask over your mouth and nose before your procedure. You will breathe in the nitrous oxide gas through the mask, becoming gradually more relaxed. However, you’ll still be fully alert and able to hear and respond to us. At the end of the appointment, we’ll give you a couple of minutes of oxygen through the mask, which will completely clear the sedative from your system. You’ll even be able to drive yourself home.

Oral Conscious Sedation

If you want oral sedation, Dr. Walden will prescribe a pill for you to take before your appointment. Since the pill can make you drowsy, you’ll need to have someone drive you to the office.

IV Sedation

For very anxious patients, IV sedation works best. Dr. Walden has been administering IV sedation for 19 years and was the first general dentist in Arizona to do so. He has also completed advanced IV sedation training at UCLA.

To schedule an appointment, please call us at 480-755-1661. You may also fill out our online appointment request form, and we will call you back. If you’re not ready for a paid exam, you can schedule a brief complimentary consultation to learn more about what we can do to give you a gentle dentistry experience.