OFFICE HOURS

Mon.: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Tues.: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Wed.: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Thurs.: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Fri.: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Select Sat.:
8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

OUR LOCATION

P.O. Box 908
237 Hastings Street North
Bancroft, ON K0L 1C0


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Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is simply a gas you can breathe in. It's colorless, sweet smelling, and non-irritating. The effects of nitrous oxide are that it kills pain and it induces a pleasurable feeling. After 5 minutes or so of breathing in the gas, you should feel a euphoric feeling spread throughout your body. The signs and symptoms that most patients experience when receiving nitrous oxide and oxygen include an initial feeling of lightheadedness, which gradually leads to an all-over feeling of warmth. Many people mention a comfortable "vibrating" or "humming" sensation and it is common to feel one's fingertips, hands and feet become "numb" or "tingly".

This same sensation may develop in the mouth — a benefit to the sedation dentist (and patient) during the dental care treatment. Some patients will mention that their arms and legs feel "very light". Interestingly, other patients will say that their arms and legs feel "so heavy I can't even move them."

If either of these occurs to the patient, it is perfectly normal. The individual might notice that they are perspiring a little, too. This is a normal effect of nitrous oxide and oxygen dentistry.

Depending on the concentration and length of administration of laughing gas, four levels of sedation can be experienced (after an initial feeling of light-headedness):

  1. A tingling sensation, especially in the arms and legs, or a feeling of vibration ("paraesthesia"), quickly followed by
  2. Warm sensations
  3. A feeling of well-being, euphoria and/or floating ("drift"). During heavier sedation, hearing may dissolve into a constant, electronic-like throbbing.
  4. At a deeper level of sedation again, sleepiness, difficulty to keep one's eyes open or speaking ("dreaming") can occur. Should nausea set in, this is a indication that you are over-sedated and the staff should be alerted so this can be quickly reversed. Once this level is found it can be avoided in the future.

At the conclusion of the sedation dentistry treatment, the patient will once again receive 100% oxygen. At the end of this time, the person should feel absolutely back to normal. N20 inhalation sedation is highly effective in the management of mild to moderate levels of dental anxiety.