Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)
From fear to euphoria...
Also known as inhalation sedation or “laughing gas”, this is one step up from the oral sedative. A mask is placed over the patient’s nose, and the flow level is adjusted by the dentist until the patient is comfortable. One advantage of this method is that as soon as the dental work is complete, the patient receives 100% oxygen and the feeling of sedation is gone within a few minutes.
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is one of several Sedation Dentistry options available to significantly reduce your fears and discomfort.
Benefits of nitrous oxide:
- It's effective for mild to moderate anxiety
- Proven safety record
- Offers an analgesic (pain relieving) effect
- It's quick-acting, with few side effects
- You don’t need someone to escort you to and from the office
- You can return to normal activities immediately
- In many cases, you can get ALL of your dental work done in one visit
Nitrous oxide is best suited for cases of mild to moderate anxiety and is the most frequently used sedation method. Under nitrous oxide you remain conscious and able to breathe on your own, with a sense of total well-being (euphoria). Patients generally recover quickly, often with little memory of the procedure.
How It Works
Nitrous oxide will put you at ease so you experience little to no discomfort; however, we will also administer a local anesthetic to ensure that you don’t experience any pain. At this point in the procedure you’ll be so relaxed that you’ll hardly even notice.
A procedure utilizing nitrous oxide generally requires one to two visits. During your first visit, your doctor will take a detailed health history. If you’re comfortable, he or she will look in your mouth and take dental x-rays. Next he or she will carefully explain what you can expect during the procedure and will patiently answer any questions you may have.