Nitrous oxide or "laughing gas" is inhaled to provide relaxation and calmness during dental procedures. It is available for all procedures.
Nitrous oxide is odorless, colourless, and does not cause irritation. It works very rapidly, reaching brain within 20 seconds, and relaxation develops after 2 or 3 minutes. The depth of sedation can be altered from moment to moment, allowing the dentist to increase or decrease its effect. Other sedation techniques don't allow for this. For example, with IV sedation, it's easy to deepen the level of sedation, but difficult to lessen it. Whereas with laughing gas, the effects are almost instant. The dentist will give incremental doses until the desired action is obtained (this is called "titration") allowing for control over the action of the drug. Nitrous Oxide has 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.
Furthermore, inhalation sedation has been found to be very effective in eliminating or at least minimizing severe gagging. For more questions, please contact our family dentist office in Midtown Toronto. |
|
