Brunswick County · Since 1987
Sedation Dentist in Southport, NC
Sedation is a great option for anyone who needs a little extra help getting back into the chair and making their smile a priority again. Whether it is the sounds, a bad past experience, trouble getting numb or anything in between, we meet you where you are and provide compassionate care with zero judgment.
What to expect
Options range from nitrous oxide, which wears off before you drive home, through oral sedation that leaves most of the appointment hazy, to deeper IV sedation for longer surgical work.
Sedation also lets us combine treatment. Work that would take four separate appointments can often be done in one, which is worth considering if the appointment itself is the obstacle.
Why Southport patients come to us
Southport is one of the most storied towns on the North Carolina coast, with its historic waterfront, Fort Johnston and the St. James community next door.
Plenty of patients in this age group had bad dental experiences in the 1960s and 70s. That memory is real, the dentistry has changed completely, and sedation bridges the gap.
Almost 45 percent of Southport is 65 or older, and St. James Plantation next door adds thousands more active-adult households.
Patients come up from Southport specifically for implant and full-arch work, which is a deliberate choice over closer options.
The drive is long enough that we consolidate consults, records and treatment planning rather than spreading them across separate trips.
We see patients from across Southport and the surrounding area, including the Southport Historic District, Fort Johnston, Franklin Square Park and the 28461 ZIP code.
Brunswick County is the fastest-growing county in North Carolina and the sixth fastest in the country, up about a quarter since 2020, and 35 percent of residents are 65 or older. That combination, rapid in-migration and an older population, is why so much of our Brunswick caseload is restorative.
We will tell you honestly whether this is worth doing now or whether it can be watched for a year, and we will say which of your existing work is likely to fail next.
Patients drive up from Southport for full-arch and implant work specifically. We build the treatment plan around the drive, not around our schedule.
This is for you if
- You avoid the dentist because of fear, and have for years
- A previous appointment was painful or humiliating
- You have a strong gag reflex
- You need extensive work and would rather do it in fewer visits
- Sitting still for long appointments is difficult for you
- Local anesthetic has not worked well for you in the past
Afterwards
With nitrous you can drive yourself home. With oral or IV sedation you need someone to drive you, and you should plan to do nothing much for the rest of the day. Follow the eating instructions we give you before the appointment.
If getting to follow-up visits is difficult, tell us. We can often combine checks into fewer, longer appointments.
Questions we get asked
How long does it take to wear off?
Nitrous, five to ten minutes. Oral sedation, several hours with grogginess into the evening. IV, similar, with the rest of the day written off.
Will I be unconscious?
No. Even IV sedation leaves you responsive. Most patients simply do not remember much of the appointment.
How far is your office from Southport?
About 30 miles, or roughly 48 minutes via NC-211 to US-17 North, then US-74/76 over the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. We are at 1301 Physicians Dr in Wilmington, with parking at the door.
Do you see patients from Southport?
Regularly. Southport is part of our core service area in Brunswick County, and patients drive up from Southport for full-arch and implant work specifically. We build the treatment plan around the drive, not around our schedule.
What are your hours?
Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm. Outside those hours, leave a message or use the appointment request form and we will come back to you with the first available time.
Sedation Dentist · Southport
Nobody here is going to make you feel bad about it.
A large share of our new patients start the conversation by apologizing for how long it has been. It is the most ordinary thing we hear.
- Nitrous, oral and IV sedation options
- Dr. Winneberger is a member of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology
- You can stop the appointment at any point
- We explain before we do, every time
Worried about the state of things? This is a judgment-free zone. We are here for the plan forward.
Request an appointment
We reply the next business day.
Please do not include Protected Health Information. For anything urgent, call (910) 762-0958.
