"Sedation Dentristy "  (Westside Today July 2005)

For Westsiders in search of near-painless dentistry, the answer is as close as Beverly Hills and its name is Dr. Patric Cohen. Like many of his patients, this jovial dentist is relentless in his search for the latest in dental comfort. “My attitude is, if there is something out there that's going to make my patient's life easier and happier, I'm going to find out about it and use it,” says Cohen.

One of the latest techniques employed by Dr. Cohen is sedation dentistry. He explains, “Patients take one (Halcion) pill the night before, one to two pills an hour before the appointment. Then at the appointment, we give them a little bit of laughing gas, and then novocaine . In patients we have sedated, the amount of pain they have afterwards is minimal.” Cohen says patients often have little recall of the procedure itself.

 In addition to his office work, Dr. Cohen stars on the Learning Channel TV series Ten Years Younger where he showcases his cosmetic dentistry skills. “A lot of these reality shows are distracting; the teeth get there before the person does. You really want to have people looking natural,” adds Cohen.

The Beverly Hills dentist always gives patients an added bonus before they leave his office. “I won't let them walk out of here without telling them a joke. If you tell somebody a joke, they laugh and smile, and the laughter causes an endorphin release. So you feel better when you walk out. How many times have you walked out of dentist's office and felt good?”