A husband-and-wife team has opened Ranunculus Dental on El Camino Real in Carlsbad, pairing a dentist and a board-certified anesthesiologist in the same office.

The practice, at 2630 El Camino Real, is run by Dr. Safina LeClair, a dentist, and Dr. Bronson LeClair, an anesthesiologist. It offers three levels of sedation: nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation and general sedation, according to the practice's website. That deepest option allows patients to undergo extensive work in a single visit rather than returning for multiple appointments.

The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce profiled the practice on Tuesday, Oct. 6, highlighting Carlsbad resident Caleb Christon, who received six crowns in one session under general anesthesia after two decades of piecemeal dental repairs.

"This is hospital-level anesthesia," Christon said in the Chamber profile. "I had no recall and no sense of time in the chair."

The practice focuses on cosmetic, restorative and sedation dentistry and accepts patients ages 7 and up. Services also include dental implants, full mouth rehabilitation, emergency dental care and clear aligners, according to its website.

Patients with severe dental anxiety, special needs or extensive treatment requirements often need deep sedation for complex procedures. Hospital operating rooms have traditionally filled that role, but the Chamber article noted that access has tightened. A 2021 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry policy brief found pediatric dentists' access to hospital operating rooms had been cut back or eliminated in about two-thirds of states, according to the Chamber profile. That figure is more than five years old, and current conditions may differ.

Dr. Safina LeClair said in the Chamber profile that the couple opened the practice after meeting patients who had given up on dental care because the treatment they needed was not available to them. Dr. Bronson LeClair said his goal is for patients not to remember the procedure at all.

Before any sedation, Dr. Safina LeClair reviews each patient's medical history and discusses options, according to the practice's website.

Ranunculus Dental is located at 2630 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92008, and is accepting new patients. The phone number is 760-434-1761.