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Nitrous oxide is one option your dentist may offer to help make you more comfortable during certain dental procedures. It is a great way for patients to relax during treatment, and when properly administered, the effects wear off quickly enough that the patient can drive themselves home. It’s not meant to make you fall asleep. You’ll still be able to hear the dentist and follow any instructions they give. Tooth Suite is pleased to offer patients nitrous oxide as a sedation option.
What is Nitrous Oxide?
Nitrous Oxide, commonly called laughing gas, provides light sedation for anxious patients or any patient who would benefit from feeling more relaxed during their dental visits. It is a safe and effective sedative administered by breathing in a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen, inhaled through a small mask that fits over your nose. It provides light sedation and begins to work quite quickly, usually within a few minutes. You may feel lightheaded or have a tingling feeling in your arms and legs. Some people feel their arms or legs are heavy, but you stay relaxed. It goes away quickly after the mask is removed.
What are some advantages of Nitrous Oxide?
- It works rapidly – it reaches the brain within 20 seconds, and realization and pain-killing properties develop after 2-3 minutes.
- The person giving the gas can change the sedation level at any time. They can make it stronger or lighter as needed. Other types of sedation don’t work this way.
- There’s no “hangover” effect – the gas is eliminated from the body within 3-5 minutes after the gas is stopped. You can safely drive home and don’t need an escort.
- For some treatments that involve the gums (such as deep cleaning), nitrous oxide can be used instead of a numbing shot. It helps ease gum pain, but it works differently for each person, so it’s not always fully reliable.
- No injection is required. In cases of very severe needle phobia, getting laughing gas first can help you feel relaxed enough to allow the needle required for IV sedation to be inserted in your arm or hand. IV sedation makes you very calm, so getting a numbing injection feels easier.
- It is very safe – it has very few side effects, and the drugs used have no ill effects on the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain.
- Inhalation Sedation is effective in eliminating or at least mitigating severe gagging.
Have questions about Nitrous Oxide? Call Tooth Suite Family Dentistry
at (780) 875-4312 to schedule your consultation today!
Tooth Suite Family Dentistry has been proudly serving
Lloydminster for over 20 Years!
FAQs
+ What is nitrous oxide sedation?
Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is a safe gas inhaled through a mask to reduce anxiety during dental procedures.
+ Is nitrous oxide safe for children?
Yes, nitrous oxide is commonly used for children and adults. Your dentist in Lloydminster will monitor the dosage carefully.
+ How long does the effect of nitrous oxide last?
The calming effect takes place quickly and wears off soon after the gas supply stops, allowing you to drive home safely.
+ Will I feel pain during treatment with nitrous oxide?
Nitrous oxide helps reduce anxiety, but local anesthesia is still used to ensure a pain-free procedure.
Disclaimer
Dr. Marianne Stelmaschuk is a Lloydminster General Dentist. She is not a specialist in Cosmetic or Family Dentistry. Cosmetic and Family Dentistry are not specialties recognized by the Alberta Dental Association & College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta (CDSA). She provides Cosmetic and Family Dental procedures such as Porcelain Veneers, Dental Crowns, Invisalign, and Teeth Whitening as part of her General Dentistry license. As a Lloydminster Family Dentist, she provides General Dental procedures for all ages within the family. Dr. Prabhjot Singh is a licensed Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon and can offer Oral Maxillofacial specialty services as part of his license.
