Worth the drive from Merced for sedation dentistry
Smith Sedation Dentistry is in Fresno, about 51 miles north-west of Merced in Merced County. I.V. sedation with an MD anesthesiologist, for people who have put dental work off.
Where we are, and how far it is from Merced
Our office is in Fresno. Smith Sedation Dentistry is at 6191 N. Fresno St., Suite #102, Fresno, CA 93710 — there is no Merced office. Patients travel to us from Merced and across the Central Valley. Directions and hours.
- CountyMerced County
- Direction from usnorth-west
- Straight-line distanceabout 51 miles
Most patients come to us for the sedation, not the postcode
We are the only practice in the Central Valley that offers I.V. sedation — deep sedation — with an anesthesiologist.
Deep sedation is given by Dr. Donald Milne, MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist with over 25 years of practice. That is the difference most people are travelling for: a dentist can only legally provide “conscious sedation”, where you must still respond to verbal commands and can remember the appointment. With an MD anesthesiologist, you are properly asleep and there is no chance of waking during the procedure.
Merced is in Merced County, so you are crossing a county line to reach us — worth knowing if you are checking what your plan covers. We work with all PPOs, including Delta Dental, and we have CareCredit and Sunbit for patients who need to spread the cost. We do not accept Medi-Cal or HMOs.
If you are booking from Merced, tell Melissa when you call. She is Dr. Smith’s sedation coordinator, she has been with the practice since it opened in 2001, and she will work out how to get as much done in one visit as is safe to do.
Treatment available to Merced patients
Every one of these can be done under sedation if that is what it takes to get you through it.
Coming in from Merced?
Call and ask for Melissa. Tell her what you are afraid of — she will tell you honestly what can be done and what it will cost, before you commit to the drive.