You may have heard your dentist mention “laughing gas” if you need a dental procedure. Do not worry, the anesthetic is as anxiety-free as the name would suggest! Below are a few things you should know about this widely used anesthetic before you head in for your treatment.
#1 The generic term for the nitrous oxide is “Laughing Gas.”
Laughing gas and nitrous oxide are one in one — a safe and effective anesthetic given in an oxygen mixture to dental patients via a mask. Laughing gas isn’t going to help you sleep like general anesthesia. Alternatively, inhaling the mixture can make you experience a sense of light tingling. You will have a general body-wide sense of numbness and feel a little lightheaded, but you will still be able to interact with your dentist during the operation. To sum it all up,
Laughing gas makes dental treatments much less painful.
#2 The laughing gas administration method is relatively easy.
Laughing gas does not require administrable shots or IVs. You actually breathe the mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide via a facemask, instead. You can absorb the anesthetic into the lungs by breathing normally, and soon feel the sedative effects. When the mask has been removed, the effects of it will subside by merely inhaling and exhaling.
#3 Across decades, nitrous oxide sedation has largely been in use.
For quite a long time now, medical practitioners have been using nitrous oxide on their patients — over 200 years, to be precise! An English chemist named Joseph Priestly first invented the laughing gas in 1793. Now, it is also among the most commonly used anesthetics.
#4 The use of nitrous oxide has many benefits.
For quite a few reasons dentists want to use nitrous oxide. First, it can quickly raise and decrease the duration of the sedation. It also works very fast (in about 2 or 3 minutes) and is extremely safe for the brain , heart, liver , lungs and kidneys. Nitrous oxide is perfect for young patients, disabled patients and patients with dental anxiety — the calming and numbing effects work quickly and no needles are required!
#5 When administered by a trained professional, laughing gas is really safe.
Nitrous oxide is very healthy and hurts none of the internal organs. In fact, when administered by a doctor, the only real risks of using nitrous oxide are the disorienting effects — meaning you could slip or fall if you stand too quick. Fortunately, these symptoms only last for 3-5 minutes after removal of the mask. You won’t feel any “hangover” symptoms from the nitrous oxide and after the treatment you will be able to drive yourself home safely.
Do you have dental anxiety? You can get your long awaited dental treatment painlessly! We have trained and authorized personnel to administer the sedative. Get nitrous oxide sedation dentistry in Sun Prairie WI.
