Dental Questions: Is Nitrous Oxide Safe?

Nitrous oxide, also known as "laughing gas," is the most common form of sedation used at dental offices nation wide. It can calm anxious patients and turn a stress filled dental visit into a relaxed experience. With its strong effects, you may be concerned that nitrous oxide has the potential to be harmful when used at dental visits. On the contrary, it is one of the safest relaxation drugs at a dentist's disposal. Take a look!

When administered at a dental office, pure nitrous oxide is mixed with pure oxygen in a mixture not exceeding one-to-one. In this setup, there is actually more oxygen in the nitrous mask than in ambient air, making it safe for those with breathing problems such as asthma. The nitrous system delivers the gas via a nose hood that both provides medicine to the patient and removes it as they exhale. This prevents other occupants in the room from receiving secondary doses of nitrous. It typically takes about five to ten minutes for a patient to feel the effects, and about the same amount of time for the gas to wear off when stopped. Most patients are fine to drive themselves home or return to work after receiving nitrous oxide sedation. 

Nitrous oxide works by stimulating receptors in the brain stem to create a calm, sedated and relaxed sensation in the recipient. Contrary to the name "laughing gas," it should make you feel sleepy or compliant during treatment. When used properly (in a healthcare setting with proper equipment) it is virtually impossible to overdose on nitrous. The gas is eliminated from your body by breathing, where you gradually exhale it from your blood supply and back into the nitrous mask. 

Naturally, nitrous oxide isn't for everyone and should only be used for patients that truly need sedation. Needlessly adding nitrous to a dental procedure adds unnecessary risks and difficulties to the treatment. If you would like to know more about dental sedation options, nitrous oxide therapy or other ways of coping with dental phobia, please give our office a call!

Managing Dental Fears

    A dentist’s office can be a very frightening place. The unfamiliar equipment, clinical environment and the looming “promise of pain” can all add up to quite an unsettling mental image. With this in mind, it is easy to see why so many patients are hesitant to schedule even a routine checkup. At Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry, we understand that visions of dental appointments weigh heavy in many patient’s minds. Hence, we try our best to manage and minimize fear through a number of techniques and methods.

Our welcoming waiting room. 

    One of the first things you will notice upon entering our office is our living-room style waiting room. It is decorated and designed to distract from the overly clinical and impersonal feel many patients normally associate with medical offices. A large television greets you with whatever channel you desire and our front office staff is available to provide you with water, candies or even a hot towel.

One of our Multimedia Patient TV screen. 

    After being seated in one of our exam rooms, you will be given the choice of watching TV, watching Netflix, or listening to streaming radio services. Each room also has over-ear headphones, blankets and pillows available upon request. We feel that the comforting/immersive experience of a good TV show, headphones and a blanket are enough to comfort all but the most fearful patients. These simple services have helped us treat a number of patients who felt they could never make it through an entire dental appointment.

    Beyond these services, we offer a number of medicinal methods to managing fear as well. These methods are either prescribed or offered in our office after a consultation and evaluation. We will try to address dental phobia without medication first, but we are always willing to meet you and your specific needs. If you have questions about these services, please let our front office staff know when you book your appointment.

    If you would like to hear more about our office and how we handle fearful patients and dental phobics, please give us a call. We are always happy to accommodate our patients and make you feel completely comfortable at your appointment. Our ultimate goal if for every patient to have a happy, positive experience at our office!