Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) - Newport News, Virginia
Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)- Although modern dentistry is usually quite comfortable. some patients experience anxiety during appointments. For this reason, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) can be a good adjunct to dental treatment.
The affect of nitrous oxide is to make the patient less aware of what is transpiring. Patients are still awake during treatment, but they are less affected by what is occurring. Some patients have compared it to a glass or two of wine. Even when nitrous oxide is administered, local anesthesia is still usually administered.
Nitrous oxide treatment is administered through a mask that is worn over the nose, The patient actually received a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen. The ratio can be easily altered by the doctor, assistant or hygienist so that the patient is comfortable but not too detached from reality. One nice thing is that once the treatment is over, the patient can be restored to a normal state by breathing straight oxygen for a few minutes.
