Archer Dental

Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) for Dental Anxiety

Managing dental anxiety during procedure

We all know that a visit to the dentist may be less than exciting. If you have a serious problem and have to get a complicated procedure it may not be very pleasant, at least many patients think so. Statistics says that nearly 75% of adults in the US experience some kind of fear regarding their dental visit. Dental appointments can be nerve-wracking if you have a dental phobia. In such situations, we advise to visit a sedation dentistry near you.

Nitrous oxide: one of the ways to manage dental anxiety

Sedation dentistry is widely used and helps thousands of dental patients each year with their dental anxiety. If you can relate to at least one of the following scenarios, sedation dentistry, and specifically laughing gas, might be a good solution for your anxiety or fear of dentists:

What does nitrous oxide or laughing gas feel like?

Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas, is the most common sedation method. Nitrous oxide is a gas that has no odor or color, and has a slightly sweet taste. With the laughing gas the patient experiences warm, positive sensations and feels relaxation in the muscles and mentally. Many patients agree that nitrous oxide is a reliable and safe solution to help them overcome fear of coming to the dentist and dental anxiety during procedures. The relaxation effect starts within minutes, and the effect wears off within minutes after the mask is removed.

What are side effects of nitrous oxide?

In general, nitrous oxide is safe to use on most people and doesn’t have severe side effects. Very patients will experience some negative effects. Nitrous oxide side effect may occur if nitrous level is too high. Possible side effects of laughing gas include:

We would like to emphasize, that side effects listed above are exceedingly rare. Most likely, nitrous oxide during your dental appointment will be a positive experience that will help you overcome dental anxiety. If you suffer from dental anxiety, ask your sedation dentist in 60632 Chicago, Archer Heights about using laughing gas at your next appointment.

​The laughing gas dentist administers a combination of oxygen and nitrous oxide. After the procedure, the oxygen is administered five minutes to restore the amount of oxygen in the body.  Oxygen also helps to increase alertness and prevent headaches, which is one of the possible side effects of nitrous gas.

General dentistry

Here is what to expect during and after admission of nitrous oxide

If you know you will be getting laughing gas during your dental appointment, we recommend eating a good meal 3 hours before your appointment. You don’t want to come in with an empty stomach, but also you want to give it sufficient time to digest before taking the laughing gas. 

Nitrous oxide sedation is administered through a special mask for the duration of the procedure. The patient will breathe the nitrous gas while the dentist is working on his or her teeth. The sedation gas will make the patient feel sleepy and relaxed within minutes of breathing the gas. The patient will still be alert, awake and conscious of what is happening around, but will experience strong effects of relaxation, warm sensation in the body and tingling in. hands and feet. Dental assistant will be monitoring the level of administered gas to make sure that the patient can follow instructions given by the dentist. It’s important to understand that laughing gas is not anesthetic, which means that local anesthesia injections will also be provided to ensure numbness in the mouth.

The patient will recover very quickly after the nitrous oxide gas is turned off. The patient will breathe oxygen for the last 5 minutes to get rid of any nitrous gas from the lungs and gain alertness. Another great news is that the patient will be allowed to drive a vehicle after their dental procedure, after their Chicago sedation dentist at Archer Heights gives the OK.

Is nitrous oxide or laughing gas safe for children?

Yes, nitrous oxide or laughing gas is used on children with dental anxiety and is considered to be safe. Currently it is considered a preferred method of dental sedation for children who experience anxiety or fear of dentists. In some cases, it might be difficult to convince a child to wear the mask. At Archer Dental we have a team of very kind and gentle professionals, and we will do everything needed to make you child comfortable. However, if the kid refuses to wear the mask, nitrous oxide may not be the right type of sedation. 

When nitrous oxide should not be used

While nitrous oxide is a safe, easy and effective sedation method, it may not be the right option for everyone. Patients may not receive nitrous oxide if they:

The takeaway

Laughing gas is an effective and common sedation method. It’s can be used on for both adults and children to ease dental anxiety. Side effects are mild and not very common.

Laughing gas doesn’t have lasting effects and the patient may drive shortly after procedure with the dentist’s permission. It is important that the patient shares all details of their medical history with their sedation dentist before procedure. Based on the patient’s current health, a laughing gas dentist can determine the right method of sedation for them.

If you or a loved one suffer from dental anxiety and are looking for laughing gas dentist in 60632, call us today at 773-581-1345 to schedule your appointment. At Archer Dental, top dentist in Archer Heights, we do everything to deliver gentle dental care with the help of our laughing gas dentists in Chicago. Archer Dental also accepts patients who look for dentist in 60638 and dentist in 60629. We look forward to meeting you!

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    Please know that you can always contact our dental team by calling 773-581-1345, making an appointment through the contact form, or stopping by the Archer Dental Chicago office at 5200 S Archer Ave, Ste #3,  Chicago, IL 60632.

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    Frequently asked questions

    What is Nitrous Oxide?

    Nitrous oxide is a type of gas, that consists of a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. It is commonly used in dentistry to help patients relax and ease their dental anxiety. Nitrous oxide (or commonly knows as laughing gas) is inhaled through a special mask that is placed over the patient’s nose during a dental procedure.

    How does Nitrous Oxide affect the brain?

    When inhaled, nitrous displaces the air in the lungs and created deficit of oxygen in the brain and your blood. As a result, the patient experiences mild hallucinations, giggles, relaxation and warm feeling in the body. Once the administration of laughing gas stops, the effects wear off within minutes. The patient will gain alertness once more oxygen starts reaching the brain. After the procedure, the patient feels normal and should be able to drive or resume the day as normal.

    What are the side effects of Nitrous Oxide?

    Occasionally some patients can experience side effects after breathing the laughing gas. Side effects might include:

    • Nausea

    • Mental confusion and grogginess

    • Leg pains and/or numbness

    • Headache

    • Excessive sweating

    • Shivering

     

    Side effects after laughing gas are very rare and stop once the patient is finished with the dental treatment.

    Can I drive after laughing gas?

    When Laughing gas wears out, it does not impact motor skills, decision making and ability to drive!

     

    Laughing gas is a great sedative for patients who experience anxiety or who have trouble getting numb. Nitrous during dental treatment helps to take the edge off. When finished, the dentist changed the gas to oxygen, which helps to gain alertness within several minutes. Now the patient is back to normal and can drive and resume their normal activities.

    Dental glossary

    Cosmetic dentistry

    Cosmetic dentistry refers to any dental work that improves the appearance of patient’s teeth/gums/bite.

    Conscious sedation

    Conscious sedation is a combination of medicines to help patient relax and to block pain during a dental procedure. The patient will remain awake, but may not be able to speak.

    Dental anxiety

    Dental anxiety is a term used to describe fear of going to a dentist. Dental anxiety can be associated with needles, drills or dental setting in general.

    Nitrous oxide

    Nitrous oxide is a gas that is used in medicine as a mild sedative. When combined with oxygen, nitrous oxide is a safe and effective way to manage pain and anxiety in dentistry.

    Preventive dentistry

    Preventive dentistry focuses on maintaining oral health in order to prevent the spread tooth decay and infections in the mouth.

    Sedation

    Sedation is the reduction of irritability or anxiety by administration of sedative drugs. Sedations is used to facilitate a medical or diagnostic procedures.

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