Sedation

Laughing gas offers numerous benefits for patients who experience dental anxiety, have a strong gag reflex, or need a little extra help to relax:

• Reduces Anxiety and Fear: The primary benefit is its ability to induce a state of profound relaxation. If you feel nervous about needles, drills, or the overall dental environment, laughing gas can significantly alleviate those fears, allowing you to relax throughout your treatment.
• Alleviates Discomfort: While not a painkiller itself, nitrous oxide can increase your pain threshold and make local anesthetic injections feel more comfortable. It helps to dull sensations, making the procedure feel less invasive.
• Quick Onset and Recovery: One of the greatest advantages of laughing gas is how quickly it takes effect – typically within minutes of inhalation. Even better, its effects wear off just as quickly once the mask is removed and you breathe pure oxygen for a few minutes. This means you can often drive yourself home and resume your normal activities immediately after your appointment, unlike with stronger sedatives.
• Safe and Controlled: Nitrous oxide is very safe for most patients, including children, and its effects are easily adjustable by our dental team. We can increase or decrease the flow of gas as needed to maintain your optimal comfort level.
• Conscious Sedation: You remain fully conscious and able to communicate with your dentist throughout the procedure. You'll simply feel more relaxed and less concerned about what's happening.
• Minimizes Gag Reflex: For patients with a sensitive gag reflex, laughing gas can be incredibly helpful in making certain procedures, like impression taking or X-rays, much more tolerable.

Before recommending laughing gas, our team at Meadowcrest Dental will discuss your medical history and evaluate if it's the right option for your specific needs. It's generally very safe, but there are some contraindications, such as certain respiratory conditions or pregnancy.

If laughing gas is suitable for you, here’s what you can expect during your appointment:

1. Preparation: Prior to your appointment, we will ask that you refrain from eating food for 2-4 hours. Upon arrival, we will take your blood pressure and place a small, comfortable mask over your nose.

2. Administration: The laughing gas (nitrous oxide) mixed with oxygen will begin to flow through the mask. We will incrementally increase the percentage of nitrous oxide until we find the dose that is just right for you. Within a few minutes, you'll start to feel the relaxing effects. You might experience a light, floating sensation, warmth, or tingling in your extremities. You’ll feel calm and detached. Our team will continuously monitor your comfort level and adjust the gas flow as needed throughout your procedure. You will remain conscious and able to respond to our instructions.

3. Recovery: Once your dental treatment is complete, the nitrous oxide flow will be turned off, and you'll breathe 100% oxygen through the mask for a few minutes. This quickly flushes the remaining gas from your system. In most cases, the effects wear off completely within 5-10 minutes, allowing you to leave our office feeling alert and capable of driving yourself home or returning to work.