Nitrous Oxide Sedation

Nervous about dental treatment?  Don’t be- so many of our patients use nitrous oxide to help relax them for their dental procedures, it really makes a big difference!  Nitrous oxide, more commonly called “laughing gas” is such a great tool for us to use in a dental setting.  A rubber nasal hood is placed over your nose and you simply breathe in and out and enjoy. Laughing gas is incredibly effective on both children and adults.  Nitrous oxide works very rapidly – it reaches 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 so that we can help you achieve just the right amount of comfort.  There’s no “hangover” effect – the gas is eliminated from the body within 3 to 5 minutes after the gas supply is stopped. You can safely drive home and don’t need an escort.