Laughing gas sedation

Nobody looks forward to a visit to the dentist, but for some people it is such a big barrier that it means that they no longer dare to go to the dentist at all. This is called a phobia. The Netherlands has about 800.000 people who suffer from this and who sometimes do not go to the dentist for 20 or even 30 years, with all the consequences that entails. There is a special treatment method for this patient group.

More and more dentists are using nitrous oxide. Laughing gas is used in oral care for all kinds of target groups: children and adults with a fear of dentists, people with an extreme retching tendency and people with a mental or physical disability.
In the Netherlands, nitrous oxide has been used in dentistry since 1986. Its use was then officially approved by the Ministry of Health. More and more dentists are using nitrous oxide. Many hospitals have also switched to the use of nitrous oxide, for example in emergency care, during childbirth, at the injection clinic and when treating children.”

Mondzorg Valeriusstraat has equipment with which you can inhale a mixture of oxygen and laughing gas through a nasal mask. Inhaling the mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide has a reassuring and calming (sedating) effect. It is therefore called inhalation sedation or nitrous oxide sedation.

What is laughing gas sedation?

Laughing gas sedation is a safe method that keeps you conscious at all times. The treatment method is especially suitable for patients with (extreme) fear of dental treatment, for patients with an increased retching tendency, for patients with mental and/or physical disabilities or combinations of these. One of the great advantages of laughing gas sedation is that it works quickly, but also works out quickly.

It has long been known that laughing gas relaxes people, “makes them happy”. It's not called "laughing gas" for nothing. Long ago, laughing gas was used to put people under anesthesia. That doesn't happen anymore. People now get nitrous oxide at the dentist to calm them down. With laughing gas you are simply "awake" (so you do not fall asleep as with anesthesia), but it gives you a pleasant and relaxed feeling.
When you are afraid of the dentist, the feeling of fear decreases. You feel calmer. And if you have a mental and/or physical disability, laughing gas can be a good support. You worry less about things that you may find difficult to understand. Or if your muscles don't always do what you want them to, nitrous oxide will help you relax them more. You can then more easily and a little longer keep your mouth open and you don't have to worry.

Who uses laughing gas?

In countries such as the United States, England, Denmark and Sweden, this form of sedation (another word is sedation) is widely used, also for treatment at home. In the Netherlands, dentists and dental hygienists are allowed to work with this after special training.

Is laughing gas safe?

The use of laughing gas at the dentist is safe and harmless to health. If you are pregnant, it is better not to undergo nitrous oxide sedation during the first and second trimester of pregnancy.

How does it work?

You inhale laughing gas through a nose cap, always together with oxygen (you can read more about how that works below). Laughing gas makes you calmer and calmer. And when you are relaxed, you hardly feel aches and pains. It is the same with laughing gas, you notice less that something would hurt. Some treatments still require a local anesthetic. But luckily nitrous oxide ensures that you can tolerate the anesthetic injection very well. With this sedation you will not notice it if you lie in the dental chair a little longer: you feel nice and drowsy and before you know it the treatment is over.

Who is laughing gas suitable for?

Nitrous oxide sedation works well for anyone who suffers from anxiety; children, young people and adults. You must be able to understand why you should continue to breathe through a nose cap and how to do it. Therefore, the method is not suitable for toddlers and preschoolers. You can explain this well to children from five or six years old, so that they understand how it works.

Severe intellectual disability

It is not always easy to grasp for people with a severe intellectual disability. Then it is better to look for another method to still make the treatment possible.

Health issues

In the case of, for example, a (mild) asthmatic condition or a (slightly) elevated blood pressure, sedation with nitrous oxide can do no harm. If you use medication and/or have health problems, the dentist will discuss with you whether it is safe to use nitrous oxide or whether it is better not to.

Bad cold?

Treatment cannot continue with a severe nose cold. You breathe in laughing gas (along with oxygen) through the nose (through a cap) throughout the treatment. That does not work well if you have a bad cold and then laughing gas cannot do its job. In that case, please contact us in time to cancel the treatment appointment. We can then treat someone else in your place.

Practice first

First you look at the laughing gas device together with the dentist or the dental hygienist. You can then see how it works. It is also possible to practice alone the first time. For the real appointment you come back one more time. That's a great idea. When you practice, you first only get the nose cap on your nose. The next step is to inhale the oxygen. Finally, you also get some laughing gas. In the beginning it is a bit strange and uncomfortable, but after a few minutes you get a pleasant, warm, relaxed and somewhat floaty feeling.

Don't talk for a while

Nitrous oxide only works if you inhale it through your nose all the time. The dentist will therefore ask you not to speak, because then you will immediately exhale the laughing gas through your mouth and it will not work! After a little practice you will certainly succeed in keeping your mouth open and breathing through your nose at the same time.

After treatment

When we stop with the laughing gas (you still get some oxygen), the languid, slightly sleepy feeling disappears within a few minutes. After about four minutes, the nose cap can be removed and the muscles feel "normal" again and the floating feeling in your head has disappeared.

Other ways

It does happen that someone continues to find it an unpleasant feeling. Then we'll just see if there's another way to treat you. We'll talk to you about that first.