Anyone familiar with the term “laughing gas” has at least a passing familiarity with nitrous oxide. Sedation dentistry frequently uses nitrous oxide dental sedation, a natural gas. When administered properly and under medical care, this anesthetic poses extremely few risks to the patient.
Nitrous oxide is routinely utilized in modern dentistry to alleviate pain and relax worried patients. Is it time for a dental checkup, and if so, would you consider nitrous oxide as a sedative? Okay, then, let’s find out!
What Is Nitrous Oxide?
Commonly abbreviated as “nitrous” or “N2O,” nitrous oxide is a tasteless, odorless, and nonflammable gas at normal temperature. It has many practical uses, such as an addition to motor fuel, a sedative in medicinal settings, and as a propellant in food goods (think whipped cream canister). Nitrous oxide dental sedation has been used in dentistry for more than 150 years.
Laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, is so named because it produces a pleasant, euphoric state in most recipients. Nitrous oxide is a combination of nitrogen and oxygen, as the name would imply.
Consequences of Excessive Exposure to Nitrous Oxide
In small doses, nitrous oxide can make you feel really happy. Inhaling N2O as gas can have this effect on the brain by affecting the brain’s pain and pleasure centers. There is essentially no delay between inhaling the gas and experiencing its effects and swiftly diminishing effects after stopping use.
Treating Dental Problems With Nitrous Oxide
Several medical applications use nitrous oxide dental sedation to help patients feel more at ease and less in pain. At the outset of any dental sedation operation, the patient will be given the option to receive N2O, and the entire process, including any potential side effects, will be thoroughly explained.
There are many benefits to employing nitrous oxide in the dental office. To start, adjusting the level of sedation is simple and quick. Besides being effective in just a few minutes, it is also quick-acting and gentle on the central nervous system as well as the liver, lungs, and kidneys. With its fast-acting sedative and anesthetic properties and lack of needles, nitrous gas is ideal for young patients, patients with disabilities, and patients with dental anxiety.
Reasons For Using Nitrous Oxide
Some dental procedures, let’s be honest, can be a little nerve-wracking. Restorative procedures, including root canals, can be challenging for certain patients because they make it difficult for them to remain quiet and open their mouths. Patients can be kept calm and relaxed during dental procedures by inhaling nitrous oxide. Both young individuals and elderly patients can receive N2O safely.
Since nitrous oxide dental sedation takes effect quickly, is generally harmless, and allows patients to return to full consciousness quickly, it is frequently used as a dental sedative (when compared to other anesthetics). The sedative effects of N2O help you relax during dental work and quickly get you back to your daily routine.
Although nitrous oxide’s effects wear off quickly, the dental Express Clairemont advises having a sober adult drive you home after any sedation dentistry operation.
How Nitrous Oxide Used
To help you relax during dental procedures, we’ll mix nitrous oxide with pure oxygen and have you breathe the mixture through a nose hood. To ensure that patients are relaxed during the treatment without passing out, the gas is administered on and off periodically. Many people can answer their dentist’s queries while also feeling less pain.
Side Effects
The vast majority of patients who use nitrous oxide at the dentist report feeling fine afterward. Inhaling N2O may cause a mild tingling or numbing sensation, but this is completely painless. However, some people may have short-term discomfort. Such examples could be:
- Shivering
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
- Extreme perspiration
- Fatigue
If you want to reduce your likelihood of feeling sick while using N2O, you should try to avoid eating a large meal before you do so. Please call our office if you have any questions about nitrous oxide or if you have any unusual reactions to it after your appointment.
The use of nitrous oxide dental sedation poses no risk to the health of the user’s internal organs. While under the influence of nitrous oxide, the only real risk is falling over if you get up too fast due to the disorienting effects. The good news is that after taking off the mask, you won’t feel any lingering effects for more than a few minutes. You can safely drive yourself home following the treatment, and there will be no “hangover” effects from the nitrous oxide.
References:
- Nitrous Oxide and the Inhalation Anesthetics
https://doi.org/10.2344/0003-3006-55.4.124 - Clinical Effects of Nitrous Oxide Conscious Sedation in Children
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/aapd/pd/2004/00000026/00000001/art00007