Nitrous Oxide: Fear-free Dental Procedures

There are millions of people who uncomfortable visiting the dentist. This often leads to these people having dental problems which could be fixed if this fear of dental procedures were alleviated. This is where the administration of nitrous oxide gas can play an important role.

Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, has been around for a long time. It is a well-known analgesia that is safe and effective in helping people to relax, especially when they are in stressful situations. The doctor or dentist gives the gas to the patient who simply breathes it in. There is no odor or color to it, and it does not irritate airways. It generally takes effect in about five minutes and causes the person to feel a sense a euphoria. The patient is not “knocked out” by the gas.

A unique benefit to using this gas is that it can be adjusted during its use to increase or decrease its effectiveness with the results being almost instantaneous. This is not possible with most other types of sedation. And unlike other sedation drugs that stay in the body for a set period of time before dissipating, nitrous oxide leaves the body within minutes of it being turned off. And, there is no hangover feelings afterward either. Patients can drive or return to work after its use with no problems.

The gas can also be used to help prep patients for other types of sedation. For instance, if a person is very fearful of being injected with an IV needle, the dentist may use nitrous oxide to first relax the patient who will then be able to accept the IV without fear. It should be noted that nitrous oxide works well for many treatments,  but it cannot do what other sedatives do such as those found in general anesthesia. For this reason, it cannot be used for everything.

There are only few side effects to nitrous oxide and the gas is considered to be very safe for use. It cannot damage internal organs such as the lungs, kidneys, liver, brain, or heart. It is also very cost effective, allowing it to be used with most patients who may be on fixed incomes.

The disadvantages to using nitrous oxide are few and mostly personal in nature. For instance, some people simply do not like being under the effects of any type of sedative, and this would include nitrous oxide. Others may feel a bit nauseous after they receive the gas. This is rare, however. Also, those who have trouble breathing through their nose may not be able to use the gas as a sedative.

On a few very rare occasions, people have reported having a bad experience with this type of gas. Generally, it was found that this happened when the person was over-sedated with nitrous oxide, which occurs if too much N2O is used in the air-gas mix. The solution is to turn down the N2O level. The ill effects included dizziness, light-headedness, and nausea.

As you can see, the use of nitrous oxide may be the right option for you if you need a safe and sure sedation method for your next visit to the dentist.