Nitrous Oxide Jacksonville, NC

Nitrous oxide is a very effective means of providing sedation to nervous patients, and its moniker “laughing gas” makes it an unintimidating choice for many patients over oral medication. Your Jacksonville, NC dentist will explain how nitrous works to keep you calm and comfortable during dental processes. However, please read on for some helpful information about nitrous oxide, how it works in the human body, and its many benefits.

Nitrous oxide is a colorless, nonflammable, odorless gas delivered into the nasal passage via a nose hood. It is provided to you throughout your entire appointment. Our dentists and assistants will closely monitor the nitrous and make sure you feel calm during our dental work.

Shortly after the initial administration of nitrous oxide, you will likely feel your mood elevated and a general sense of well-being. Laughing gas relieves anxiety and reduces pain throughout the dental procedure. You may even feel some numbness and tingling, but the side effects of nitrous are very few and very mild.

When you’re given laughing gas for your procedure, you will be able to drive yourself home as the side effects, if any, will quickly wear off. With oral conscious sedation via a pill, you have to have someone drive you to and from your appointment, as a drug’s effects take much longer to wear off than nitrous effects.

Your dentist will consider certain things before administration to determine the right amount for you:

We will monitor your reaction to the nitrous oxide throughout your dental appointment, and you will be alert and able to answer questions and respond to directions.

The benefits of dental anxiety relief using nitrous oxide are numerous:

• The level of sedation can be altered at any time to increase or decrease sedation.
• There is no groggy after-effect as with some other methods of sedation.
• Nitrous is safe with no side effects on your heart and lungs.
• Laughing gas is very effective in minimizing gagging.
• It works rapidly, reaching the brain within 20 seconds. Within a couple of minutes, relaxation and pain-killing effects begin.
• It is easily administered through a mask or nasal tubes.
• Nitrous oxide wears off quickly, so patients can drive after dental appointments.

Nitrous oxide, as with other sedation dentistry techniques, has an amnesia effect, so many patients have a vague recollection of the dental work performed.
Sedation dentistry with nitrous oxide allows us to keep you calm and comfortable during your procedures. It also helps us complete our dental work without interruptions from patients who fear the work being performed.

If you have been fearful of going to the dentist, we encourage you to call Family Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry, serving Jacksonville, NC, and surrounding areas at (910) 353-5171. You may also fill out our online contact form, and one of our dental team members will reach out soon to help with scheduling and answer any questions you may have.