Nitrous Oxide

Ease anxiety and feel no pain during dental treatment

Nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas” as it’s often known, is safe for use during dental treatment when mixed with oxygen.

Nitrous oxide and oxygen, when breathed in via a mask, eases anxiety and produces a pleasurable feeling. It works very rapidly reaching the brain within 20 seconds, and relaxation and pain-killing properties develop after 2 or 3 minutes.

The depth of sedation can be altered from moment to moment, allowing the person who administers the gas to increase or decrease the depth of sedation. The effects are almost instant.

When finished with the nitrous oxide, oxygen is received for about five minutes. This helps clear any remaining gas from your body and will help you regain alertness after your procedure. Oxygen will help prevent a headache, so there’s no “hangover” effect, which is another possible side effect of nitrous oxide. After receiving nitrous oxide at a dental appointment you’ll need to wait until you’re fully alert, about 15 minutes, and then you should be able to drive yourself home without an escort. 

Inhalation sedation 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 has also been found to be very effective in eliminating or at least minimizing severe gagging.