Along with treating our patient’s dental needs with the highest level of professionalism and dental expertise, we want to provide our patients with the most comfortable experience possible. We realize that many people are anxious about going to the dentist, and at Hitomi Dental Office, we employ a number of methods to make your visit comfortable and anxiety free. Today, we’ll talk about Nitrous Oxide, or “Laughing Gas” as it is sometimes known.

An Overview

Nitrous Oxide is a form of anesthetic under the umbrella of sedation dentistry that is often regularly administered to patients who undergo dental procedures. Whether the procedure is as conventional as a dental cleaning or as comprehensive as root canal therapy, Nitrous Oxide is an ideal tool for dentists to use on anxiety ridden patients. For certain individuals, a simple dental visit can be an extremely difficult task and can often lead to severe bouts of anxiety or panic. Using Nitrous Oxide enables patients to feel comfortable and calm while they are being treated for their dental or oral conditions. Unlike other sedation services such as IV sedation or general anesthesia that often cause you to go into a deep sleep or fall unconscious, Nitrous Oxide is a mild sedative that will keep you conscious but in a more relaxed state. Many patients may wonder or ask “what does Nitrous Oxide feel like?,” and the answer will be a mild feeling of lightheadedness, a numbing feeling throughout parts of your body and a tingling sensation causing you to react with laughter sometimes. With Nitrous Oxide you retain the ability to communicate, thus making it easier for your dentist to direct you while undergoing your dental procedure.

Benefits Offered

There are many benefits associated with using Nitrous Oxide. Among them is that, the administration of Nitrous Oxide is non-invasive and does not require the use of a needle. Nitrous Oxide is administered by simply inhaling and breathing it in through a facemask. Other benefits include the speed in which Nitrous Oxide can be administered, the ability to adjust the strength of the sedation, and its ability to keep anxious patients relaxed.