Pain-Free Dentistry in Summerlin | How We Do It

Pain-Free Dentist in Summerlin: How We Make Every Visit Comfortable

By Dr. Marianne Cohan, DDS, AACD, AAFE | Summerlin Dental Solutions | Updated March 2026

For millions of Americans, the phrase “go to the dentist” triggers genuine anxiety. If you are one of them, you are not alone, and you are not being dramatic. Dental anxiety and dental phobia are well-documented conditions that affect an estimated 36% of the population, with roughly 12% experiencing extreme fear that causes them to avoid dental care entirely. The consequences of that avoidance are serious: untreated cavities, advancing gum disease, tooth loss, chronic pain, and the eventual need for complex procedures like dental implants, bridges, or dentures that could have been avoided with earlier, simpler treatment.

The good news is that dentistry has changed dramatically. At Summerlin Dental Solutions, painful dental procedures are genuinely a thing of the past. Between modern anesthetics, multiple levels of sedation dentistry, laser technology that replaces many traditional drilling techniques, and a practice model that sees only one patient at a time in a calm, private environment, there is simply no reason to suffer through a dental visit in 2026.

This guide explains every comfort option available at our Summerlin office so you can walk in knowing exactly what to expect, and walk out wondering why you waited so long.

Why Dental Visits Used to Hurt (and Why They Do Not Anymore)

Dental anxiety is often rooted in past experiences, either your own or stories passed down from parents and grandparents. Decades ago, anesthetics were less effective, needles were larger, drill technology was crude, and the general attitude toward patient comfort was “just get through it.” Those experiences created lasting fear that persists even though the technology has advanced enormously.

Here is what has changed at Summerlin Dental Solutions:

• Modern anesthetics are more effective, faster-acting, and longer-lasting than anything available even 20 years ago. They numb the treatment area completely so you feel nothing during the procedure.
• Topical numbing gels are applied before any injection so you do not feel the needle entering the tissue.
• Smaller, finer needles deliver anesthetic with minimal tissue disruption and significantly less discomfort than older, larger-gauge needles.
• Laser dentistry replaces the drill for many soft-tissue and some hard-tissue procedures, eliminating vibration, heat, and the sound that triggers anxiety for many patients.
• Multiple levels of sedation allow you to be mildly relaxed, moderately sedated, or completely unaware during your procedure, depending on your needs.
• A private, one-patient-at-a-time environment eliminates the noise, crowding, and rushed atmosphere that make anxiety worse in conventional dental offices.

Local Anesthesia: The Foundation of Pain-Free Dentistry

Local anesthesia is the most common and most efficient form of pain control in dentistry. Before any procedure that involves the teeth or gums, from a simple cavity filling to a tooth extraction or root canal, Dr. Cohan administers a local anesthetic injection to completely numb the treatment area. You remain fully awake and alert during the procedure, but you feel nothing in the numbed area except gentle pressure.

How Local Anesthesia Works

The anesthetic solution (typically lidocaine or articaine) is injected near the nerve that supplies sensation to the treatment area. Within minutes, the nerve’s ability to transmit pain signals is temporarily blocked. The effect lasts one to three hours depending on the type and amount of anesthetic used, which is more than enough time for most procedures.

The Numbing Gel: You Will Not Feel the Needle

One of the most common fears patients express is not about the dental procedure itself, but about the needle. Fear of needles (trypanophobia) affects a significant portion of both children and adults. At Summerlin Dental Solutions, Dr. Cohan applies a topical numbing gel to the gum tissue before administering any injection. This gel desensitizes the surface tissue so that when the injection is given, you feel little to nothing. Many patients tell us they had no idea the injection had been given at all.

What If the Anesthesia Starts to Wear Off?

A common worry is that the local anesthetic will stop working partway through a procedure, leaving you in pain. If that ever happens, simply raise your hand and let our team know. Dr. Cohan will immediately pause the procedure and administer additional anesthetic before continuing. You should never feel pain during any dental treatment. That is a non-negotiable standard at our practice.

Advantages of Local Anesthesia

• You remain fully awake and can communicate with the dental team throughout the procedure
• You can drive yourself to and from the appointment
• You can return to work, school, or normal activities immediately afterward
• Recovery is fast, with the numbness wearing off within one to three hours
• It is the most cost-effective form of dental anesthesia

For many patients, local anesthesia combined with the numbing gel is all that is needed for a completely pain-free experience. However, for patients with more significant anxiety, longer procedures, or multiple treatments being completed in a single visit, sedation dentistry provides additional layers of comfort.

Sedation Dentistry: Three Levels of Comfort

Sedation dentistry is not about being “put to sleep” in the way that many people imagine. It is a spectrum of relaxation options, from mild to deep, that allow you to receive dental care in a state of calm, comfort, and (in some cases) complete unawareness. At Summerlin Dental Solutions, we offer three distinct levels of sedation, each appropriate for different situations.

Level 1: Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)

Nitrous oxide is the mildest form of sedation and the most commonly used in dentistry. You breathe it in through a small mask placed over your nose, and within minutes you feel a warm, relaxed, slightly euphoric sensation. You remain fully conscious and can communicate with the dental team throughout the procedure, but your anxiety dissolves and any remaining discomfort feels distant and unimportant.

The greatest advantage of nitrous oxide is its rapid onset and rapid recovery. The effects begin within two to three minutes and wear off within five minutes after the mask is removed. You can drive yourself home and resume normal activities immediately. There is no lingering grogginess or need for an escort.

Nitrous oxide is ideal for patients with mild to moderate dental anxiety, children who are nervous about dental visits, and shorter procedures like fillings, cleanings, or crown preparation. The additional cost is typically $20 to $40 per appointment.

Level 2: Oral Conscious Sedation

For patients with moderate to significant anxiety, oral conscious sedation provides a deeper level of relaxation. You take a prescription sedative pill (typically a benzodiazepine) approximately one hour before your appointment. By the time you arrive at the office, you feel deeply relaxed and drowsy. During the procedure, you remain technically conscious and can respond to verbal instructions, but you will have little to no memory of the appointment afterward.

Oral sedation is particularly valuable for patients who need longer or more complex procedures such as smile makeovers, multiple crowns, or deep cleanings on patients with severe dental anxiety. The amnestic effect (not remembering the procedure) is especially appreciated by patients whose fear is rooted in traumatic past dental experiences.

Because oral sedation impairs your coordination and judgment for several hours after the procedure, you will need a friend or family member to drive you to and from the appointment. You should also plan to rest for the remainder of the day.

Level 3: IV Sedation

For patients with severe dental anxiety, phobia, or extensive treatment needs, IV sedation provides the deepest level of comfort available in an outpatient dental setting. At Summerlin Dental Solutions, IV sedation is administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist who is present throughout the entire procedure, continuously monitoring your oxygen saturation, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory function.

Under IV sedation, you are in a state of deep relaxation and are completely unaware of the procedure. You have no memory of the appointment afterward. This level of sedation is ideal for patients undergoing dental implant placement, surgical extractions, All-on-4 full-arch restorations, full-mouth reconstruction, or any patient who simply cannot tolerate dental procedures while awake, regardless of the procedure’s complexity.

IV sedation also allows Dr. Cohan to complete multiple procedures in a single visit that would otherwise require several separate appointments. This means fewer total visits, less total time in the dental chair, and a faster path to a healthy, complete smile.

Like oral sedation, IV sedation requires an escort to and from the appointment and a full day of rest afterward.

Laser Dentistry: Less Drilling, Less Discomfort, Faster Healing

One of the most significant advances in pain-free dentistry is the use of dental lasers. At Summerlin Dental Solutions, Dr. Cohan uses both soft-tissue diode lasers and Er:YAG hard-tissue lasers to perform a wide range of procedures with less discomfort, less bleeding, and faster healing than traditional methods.

How Dental Lasers Reduce Pain

Traditional dental procedures rely on mechanical instruments (drills, scalpels, curettes) that create vibration, heat, and pressure on the tissue. Dental lasers use concentrated light energy to precisely remove or reshape tissue with minimal thermal damage to surrounding areas. The result is less inflammation, less swelling, less post-operative pain, and faster recovery.

Procedures That Benefit from Laser Technology

• Gum disease treatment: Laser periodontal therapy removes infected gum tissue and bacteria from periodontal pockets without the cutting, suturing, and extended recovery associated with traditional gum surgery.
• Gum contouring: Reshaping the gumline to correct a “gummy smile” is faster, more precise, and less painful with a laser than with a scalpel.
• Cavity preparation: For certain types of cavities, the Er:YAG laser can remove decay without the vibration and noise of a traditional drill, and in some cases without the need for anesthesia at all.
• Soft-tissue procedures: Frenectomies (tongue-tie or lip-tie releases), biopsy tissue removal, and lesion treatment are all performed with less bleeding and faster healing using laser technology.

For patients on blood-thinning medications (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Plavix, aspirin therapy), laser procedures offer the additional advantage of superior hemostasis (bleeding control), which reduces complications and speeds recovery.

The One-Patient-at-a-Time Difference

Technology and anesthetics are only part of the pain-free equation. The environment in which you receive care matters enormously, especially for anxious patients. At Summerlin Dental Solutions, we see one patient at a time. When you are in our office, you are the only patient in the building.

Here is why this matters for anxious patients:

• No crowded waiting room: There is no sitting in a room full of strangers listening to dental sounds coming from behind a wall. You walk in, you are greeted by name, and you are seated immediately in a private treatment suite.
• No rushing: Dr. Cohan blocks generous time for every appointment, often twice the industry standard. She never needs to hurry because there is no other patient waiting. If you need a moment to breathe, collect yourself, or ask a question, you take that moment without anyone watching the clock.
• No unexpected sounds: In multi-patient offices, the sounds of drills, suction, and conversations from other operatories create a stressful ambient environment. In our office, the only sounds you hear are the ones associated with your own care, and even those are minimized by noise-canceling headphones, personal entertainment screens, and the option to listen to your own music or watch a show during your procedure.
• Complete privacy: Your medical information, your anxiety, your questions, and your experience are entirely private. No one else in the building can overhear your conversation with Dr. Cohan.
• Spa-level comfort amenities: Warm blankets, curated aromatherapy, a refreshment menu, and a beautifully designed office environment create a sensory experience that feels more like a retreat than a dental appointment.

For patients whose dental anxiety is triggered by the clinical environment as much as by the procedures themselves, this model is transformative. Many patients who spent years avoiding the dentist tell us that Summerlin Dental Solutions is the first office where they actually felt relaxed.

Pain-Free Options for Every Dental Procedure

No matter what procedure you need, there is a pain-free path to get it done. Here is how we approach the most common treatments:

Routine Cleanings and Checkups

Preventive cleanings are typically painless even without anesthesia. For patients with sensitive teeth or gums, we apply a topical numbing gel before the cleaning begins. Nitrous oxide is available for patients who find the sensation of scaling uncomfortable or who experience anxiety during dental appointments of any kind.

Fillings

Cavity fillings are performed under local anesthesia, so you feel nothing during the procedure. For small cavities, our Er:YAG laser can sometimes remove the decay without a traditional drill, and in some cases without any injection at all. Nitrous oxide or oral sedation can be added for anxious patients.

Crowns and Veneers

Crown and veneer preparation is performed under local anesthesia. Our CEREC same-day technology means your permanent restoration is designed, milled, and placed in a single visit, eliminating the need for a temporary crown and a second appointment. Sedation options are available for patients who prefer deeper relaxation during longer cosmetic appointments.

Root Canals

Root canal therapy has a reputation for being painful, but the reality is that the procedure itself is no more uncomfortable than getting a filling. The tooth is completely numbed with local anesthesia, and the purpose of the root canal is to remove the infected nerve tissue that is causing your pain. Most patients report that the relief they feel after a root canal is dramatic. Sedation is available for anxious patients.

Extractions

Tooth extractions are performed under local anesthesia, and more complex surgical extractions (such as impacted wisdom teeth) can be performed under oral or IV sedation so you are completely comfortable and unaware during the procedure. Post-operative discomfort is managed with prescribed pain medication and detailed aftercare instructions.

Dental Implants

Dental implant placement is performed under local anesthesia combined with your choice of sedation. Many patients are surprised to learn that implant surgery is less uncomfortable than an extraction because there is no infected tissue involved. Our CBCT-guided surgical protocols minimize tissue disruption, reduce surgical time, and speed recovery. For full-arch cases like All-on-4 implants, IV sedation ensures complete comfort throughout the longer procedure.

Deep Cleanings (Scaling and Root Planing)

Deep cleanings for gum disease are performed under local anesthesia to ensure you feel nothing below the gumline. The procedure is completed over two visits, one for each side of the mouth. Nitrous oxide or oral sedation can be added for anxious patients. Post-procedure sensitivity is normal and typically resolves within a few days.

Smile Makeovers and Full-Mouth Reconstruction

Comprehensive smile makeovers and full-mouth reconstructions involve multiple procedures completed over several appointments. Each appointment uses the appropriate combination of local anesthesia and sedation. For patients who want to consolidate multiple procedures into fewer visits, IV sedation allows Dr. Cohan to accomplish more in a single session while you rest comfortably and unaware.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pain-Free Dentistry

Will I feel pain during my dental procedure?

No. Every procedure at Summerlin Dental Solutions is performed with appropriate anesthesia to ensure you feel no pain. Local anesthetic numbs the treatment area completely. If you feel anything during a procedure, raise your hand and Dr. Cohan will immediately pause and administer additional anesthetic before continuing.

What if I am afraid of needles?

You are not alone. Dr. Cohan applies a topical numbing gel to the gum tissue before any injection, so you do not feel the needle. The gel takes effect in about 30 seconds, and most patients tell us they were completely unaware that the injection was given. For patients with severe needle phobia, oral sedation taken before arrival can reduce anxiety to the point where the injection is not a concern.

Can I be completely asleep during dental work?

Yes. IV sedation administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist places you in a state of deep relaxation where you are completely unaware of the procedure and have no memory of it afterward. This option is available for any procedure and any level of anxiety.

Is sedation dentistry safe?

Yes. All sedation at Summerlin Dental Solutions includes continuous monitoring of your vital signs: oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure. IV sedation is administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist who is present throughout the entire procedure. Dr. Cohan reviews your complete medical history and medication list before recommending any level of sedation.

How long does the numbness last after a dental procedure?

Local anesthesia typically wears off within one to three hours after the procedure, depending on the type and amount used. During this time, avoid eating on the numb side to prevent accidentally biting your cheek or tongue. The numbness resolves gradually and completely.

Can I drive myself home after sedation?

If you receive only nitrous oxide (laughing gas), yes. The effects wear off within five minutes of removing the mask, and you can drive normally. If you receive oral sedation or IV sedation, you will need a friend or family member to drive you home. Plan to rest for the remainder of the day after moderate or deep sedation.

What about pain after the procedure?

Post-procedure discomfort varies by treatment. Fillings and crowns typically produce little to no post-procedure pain. Extractions and implant surgery may produce mild to moderate soreness that is well-managed with prescribed pain medication. Dr. Cohan provides detailed aftercare instructions for every procedure so you know exactly what to expect and how to manage any discomfort.

I have not been to the dentist in years because of fear. Will you judge me?

Absolutely not. A significant number of our patients come to us after years of avoiding dental care because of anxiety. We have seen it all, and we treat every patient with compassion, patience, and zero judgment. Your first visit will be a thorough but gentle evaluation. Dr. Cohan will explain everything she finds, present all of your options, and work with you to create a treatment plan at a pace that feels comfortable. Nobody rushes you, and nobody makes you feel bad for waiting. We are simply glad you are here now.

Do you treat children who are afraid of the dentist?

Yes. Our private, quiet, one-patient-at-a-time environment is especially comforting for children who are anxious about dental visits. There are no scary sounds from other patients, no crowded waiting rooms, and no rushed atmosphere. Nitrous oxide is available for children who need mild relaxation, and Dr. Cohan’s gentle chairside manner puts young patients at ease. Early positive dental experiences help children develop healthy attitudes toward dental care that last a lifetime.

Does insurance cover sedation dentistry?

Some dental insurance plans cover nitrous oxide and certain levels of sedation, particularly when medically necessary. Our team verifies your benefits before treatment and provides a clear cost breakdown. For any out-of-pocket costs, we offer 0% interest financing through HFD with approval in under a minute and no credit score impact.

You Deserve Dental Care Without Fear

If dental anxiety has kept you from getting the care your smile needs, Summerlin Dental Solutions was built for you. Dr. Marianne Cohan, a 19-time Best of Las Vegas winner, has spent over 31 years perfecting the art of comfortable, pain-free dentistry. Her combination of advanced technology (AI-assisted diagnostics, laser dentistry, CEREC same-day restorations), multiple sedation options, and a one-patient-at-a-time practice model creates an experience that anxious patients describe as genuinely life-changing.

We proudly serve patients from across the Las Vegas Valley, including Henderson, Spring Valley, Centennial Hills, Paradise, Sun City Summerlin, Downtown Summerlin, Anthem and Seven Hills, Queensridge, Bears Best, The Ridges, The Summit, and all surrounding communities.