Laughing gas, also known as laughing gas, first became a breakthrough in dentistry in the 1800s. Today, its combination with oxygen makes it ideal and safe anaesthesia that can help in curbing dental anxiety and pain. Its use is increasingly becoming a favourite, especially in dental surgery.
Read on to find out some of the benefits of laughing gas in dentistry and why it is preferred anaesthesia by most dentists including Springvale Dental clinic.
Laughing gas is a combination of nitrogen and oxygen so it is gaseous in nature. This means that the only viable means of administering it is through breathing in the gas. Your dentist will let you breathe in the gas through a small breathing mask and wait for the effects to manifest before starting your dental procedure. Once the laughing gas is inhaled, it quickly travels through the lungs to the bloodstream and into the brain. There, the gas acts by stimulating the release of natural opioids, dopamine, and endorphins. It then temporarily stabilizes neuron activity in your brain. You may start to feel light-headed and numb at the same time. The calming and relaxing effect of laughing gas provides comfort for the patient during the whole procedure.
Laughing gas is a highly effective pain reliever and can be very helpful for patients with dental anxiety and phobia. Its strong pain-relieving properties also make it ideal for other oral surgeries that may be conducted on a patient.
Laughing gas gas acts fast. This is because it immediately absorbed into the bloodstream and its effects quickly send signals to the brain to relieve pain. Unlike other types of anaesthesia, which you have to wait for a couple of minutes, laughing gas works pretty fast and is therefore ideal even for dental emergencies.
It only takes a breathing mask to administer laughing gas as anaesthesia. This eliminates the need for an injection or drip otherwise used in some surgeries. This also eliminates any pain during the whole dental procedure as some patients fear needles.
The recovery time for laughing gas is comparably shorter than other types of anaesthesia. The effects of laughing gas wear off quickly soon after taking off the breathing mask. You can even drive yourself back home immediately after your appointment because you will be back in your senses in no time. You, however, have to be 100% sure that the sedation has completely worn off before making any decision to drive. If you are not sure, it is always advisable to have someone to drive you back home after your appointment.
Laughing gas has calming effects that help patients relax and deal with dental anxiety. This helps to make the treatment process smooth for both the dentist and the patient as well.
Laughing gas is a very safe sedation method if monitored accordingly. Besides, it is easy for the anaesthetist to monitor the levels and determine which level is most effective by either reducing it or increasing its intake. Additionally, a patient stays conscious during the entire procedure so it is easy to monitor the effectiveness of laughing gas.
Laughing gas has been ruled out as one of the safest forms of sedation out there. This is because it only consists of two elements; nitrogen and oxygen which means it poses a very minimal medical risk to patients who may be allergenic. However, it is important to note that while laughing gas has excellent relaxation and numbing effect, it may not be the most ideal choice of sedation for complex oral surgeries which may involve a lot of pain.
If you have been experiencing dental phobia and don’t look forward to your dental appointment, then you could be the best candidate for laughing gas sedation. Let your dentist know if you have dental anxiety and if the treatment is available for your procedure. Springvale dental clinic offers effective laughing gas sedation for patients who may be experiencing dental anxiety. With our experienced dental team, we will make sure to answer any of your questions and help you find out if you are ideal to use laughing gas for your dental procedure.