Imagine you have an appointment for a tooth extraction. You know it won't hurt you and you are confident that you are in good hands. However, you're feeling extremely anxious and thinking about postponing your appointment.
Dental procedures are not meant to be painful. They are meant to help us achieve great oral health, and beautiful smiles and learn that the dentist is a safe place.
So, before you cancel your appointment, you should consider sedation options, such as laughing gas. And, if you are anxious about the side effects of laughing gas, here's what you need to know about them.
Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) is used as a sedative in medical and dental procedures to help patients relax and relieve the anxiety they experience before an intervention.
This gas does not put you to sleep, and you will be fully conscious while under its effects. As such, you will be able to respond to the dentist's instructions and questions during the procedure.
You will inhale the gas through a mask and you will start feeling its effects almost immediately.
The gas will start leaving your system within minutes after it stops being inhaled. Sometimes pure oxygen is flowed through the mask to speed the elimination of the gas and clear any remaining substances within the body.
Patients can drive and continue with their daily activities without issues after the gas has left the system and they feel alert again.
Laughing gas is a safe sedative. However, a trained doctor must administer it to make sure the dosage is correct.
Despite the fact that laughing gas is safe, there is a low percentage of people that can experience side effects.
Your Terre Haute sedation dentist will check your medical history to make sure the gas does not interfere with any treatment or condition you may have.
Common short-term effects of the laughing gas include:
Any side effects of laughing gas are short-lived. The gas usually leaves the body fast and there are no known long-term side effects of it.
Laughing gas is a safe mild sedative that can be used both in children and adults. It helps patients feel relaxed during dental procedures and it wears off fast and easily. You will be able to resume the day soon after the appointment without problems.
If you are anxious about your upcoming appointment and would like to explore different sedation options, get in touch with the team at Vivid Smiles and we can help you.
Our goal is to provide amazing oral care to all of our patients in a modern and state-of-the-art family center. Most importantly, we do it at affordable prices.
If you would like to meet us, get in touch and schedule an appointment with one of the doctors.
2512 Wabash Avenue
Terre Haute, IN 47803
Mon-Fri: 9am - 6pm
Sat: 9am - 4pm
.png){kind=icon}