Many patients, adults and children alike, experience phobias and anxiety associated with dental facilities and procedures. This is fairly common, and often results in patients delaying treatment or skipping routine check-ups, both of which are harmful for oral health. Fortunately, our happy gas dentist at Southern Smiles makes sure you leave all your stress and worries behind. We offer a number of different sedation options that ensure a perfectly comfortable, painless and pleasant experience for you at the clinic.
Happy gas is one of the most effective ways of managing severely anxious patients at dental facilities. It is completely safe to use, and helps patients get the dental care they need, when they need it. This means you can bid your anxiety farewell, and keep your oral health in check regularly without any more delays!
What is happy gas and how is it used in dentistry?
Happy gas, commonly known as laughing gas, is actually nitrous oxide. It is administered in a dental setting through the inhalation method via a mask that is worn over the mouth and nose. Nitrous oxide sedation dentistry is known for its analgesic properties and offers patients a comfortable, painless experience. It can be given in combination with sedative agents to relieve anxiousness and stress, helping patients feel calm and at peace during the procedure.
A happy gas dentist uses a controlled amount of the gas prior to the procedure; this practice is FDA approved, and highly effective. For short-duration procedures, nitrous gas alone can suffice to eliminate chances of pain or discomfort – for more complex treatments however, the combination approach is used to ensure a pleasant experience for patients.
What are the effects of happy gas?
Once it is administered, nitrous oxide makes the patient feel light headed and ‘happy’. You may at the same time feel that the responses of your brain and body have slowed down, but this is all completely normal. You may feel calm and euphoric, and you can also expect random bouts of giggles and laughter once the effects have set in. All of these are the desired effects of happy gas which help patients leave their anxiety, stress and fear behind while they’re in the dental chair.
Rest assured that nitrous oxide gas will not put you to sleep. You will remain alert and fully responsive during the procedure – unless you opt for sleep dentistry or heavy sedation dentistry yourself. The administration technique itself is completely painless – you will be asked to wear a mask over your mouth and nose, and then you will breathe normally. Within a few minutes the effects of the gas will set in and your dentist will proceed with the procedure!
What are some of the procedures that can be performed using laughing gas?
With the help of happy gas, dentists can perform various different procedures at the dental clinic. Short duration procedures like fillings, dental bonding, crown and bridge preparation, scaling, root planing, caries removal, root canals and a number of aesthetic dental treatments can easily be performed without the patient feeling any kind of pain or anxiousness. For treatments like implants and multiple dental extractions, happy gas can be combined with sleep dentistry to help patients remain calm for a longer duration of time. In those cases however, the recovery time is longer too, and sedatives are administered intravenously.
Is laughing gas safe for young patients?
Happy gas is one of the safest, most effective means of managing severely anxious children who visit the dental clinic for procedures. It does not involve any needles and is easy to administer too. Our experts first explain what is about to happen and what to expect, so the kids don’t get scared.
If you have a cavity in your teeth and have been delaying treatment simply because the treatment might hurt – we have great news for you! Using happy gas, dentists at Southern Smiles can guarantee a relatively painless, comfortable and pleasant experience for you prior to, during and even after the procedure has been completed. Leave all your worries, fear and stress behind – book an appointment with our team of leading dental surgeons today!
