Sedation Dentistry

If you’re considering having your next dental procedure completed under sedation, nitrous oxide is a perfect choice. The safe, inhaled sedative offers the advantage of a relaxed experience while remaining fully conscious throughout your entire appointment.

Typically referred to as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide has safely been used by dentists and doctors for decades. When combined with pure oxygen and inhaled through the nose, it helps to reduce pain receptors and overall anxiety during dental treatment. It’s also safer and easier to use than heavier sedation medications.

Although you’re still aware of everything going on, you just won’t seem to care as much. Some people even tend to get the giggles, hence the nickname, laughing gas.

What to Expect if You’re Getting Nitrous Oxide for the First Time

Having sedation with nitrous oxide only adds about 10-15 minutes to the length of your dental appointment. Before any treatment is started, you’ll have a soft nosepiece set in place for you to breathe through. Within a few minutes, you’ll start to feel a warm, tingling sensation throughout your body (most noticeably, your fingers or toes.)

If you need a restorative treatment such as a filling or crown, your tooth will still be numbed with local anesthetic. Fortunately, getting the small injection is quite easy and insignificant, as the nitrous oxide gas has already taken effect in the few minutes leading up to the procedure.

Although you will feel at ease, these sedation patients can fully communicate with our dental team for the entire duration of the appointment. Once your actual treatment is completed, the nitrous gas will be shut off and you’ll breath 100% oxygen for about 5-10 minutes as the analgesic wears off. In fact, the effects are fully reversible and you can drive yourself home immediately following the procedure.

Who is the Ideal Candidate for Sedation Dentistry?

With nitrous oxide, you have flexible options to make your experience as comfortable as necessary. Whether you plan the appointment with laughing gas well in advance, or want to request it at the time of your appointment, its ease of use and proven safety make it the perfect choice for our patients that are looking to “take the edge off.”

You may want to ask for nitrous sedation if…

• You’re having a longer procedure scheduled — such as a root canal — and are a bit uneasy about how things will feel during the process.
• You’re getting your very first filling.
• We’re treating your child and you want to ensure that they’re as comfortable as possible.
• You’ve had a previous history of uncomfortable dental experiences, and going to the dentist generally makes you feel nervous.
• You want to remain conscious during the procedure, rather than fully sedated.
• You need to drive yourself to and from the appointment.
• During a scheduled procedure, you start to feel slightly nervous and want something extra to help you relax.
• You are just coming back to the dentist after an extended hiatus, and you’re anxious about the visit.

The affordable and safe nature of laughing gas makes it the perfect choice for adult and pediatric patients alike. We feel so strongly about how useful and comfortable nitrous oxide is, that it’s the preferred form of dental sedation that we use in our practice. The only times when it is contraindicated, are instances of nasal congestion (because you need to be able to breathe out of your nose) or severe egg allergies, as a molecular component in nitrous oxide can trigger similar stimuli in extremely rare cases.

Don’t push your oral health aside for another day. If you’ve been putting off your next dental appointment because of how you’re expecting it to feel, request nitrous oxide sedation! Call us today to schedule.

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