Sedation and comfort

Nitrous oxide, often called laughing gas, is a gas you breathe, mixed with oxygen, through a small mask over your nose. Within a few minutes, most people feel relaxed, light, or a little tingly. You stay awake, can talk, and can ask to stop at any time.

It helps you relax while the area is numbed and treated, but it doesn’t replace numbing. The amount can be turned up or down during the visit. At the end, you breathe pure oxygen for a few minutes, and the effects fade quickly. Your dentist will tell you whether you can drive yourself home.

Nitrous oxide suits many people with mild to moderate anxiety or a strong gag reflex. Tell your dentist if you’re pregnant, have a stuffy nose, or have lung or breathing problems, because it may not be right for you.

With oral sedation, you take a prescribed pill before your visit, at the time your dentist tells you. As it takes effect, you feel calm and drowsy. You stay awake and can answer questions, but many people remember little of the visit afterward. The area is still numbed for the treatment itself.

Your dentist reviews your health and medicines first, and your breathing and oxygen level are watched during the visit.

The pill’s effects last for hours, and they can’t be switched off once you’ve taken it. You’ll need an adult to drive you to and from the office and to stay with you afterward. Plan to rest for the remainder of the day, and don’t drive or make important decisions until the next day.

Oral sedation can suit people with moderate anxiety or a longer visit ahead. It isn’t right for everyone, including people who are pregnant or who take certain medicines.

In IV sedation, calming medicine goes into a vein through a thin, flexible tube, usually in your hand or arm. Placing the tube feels like a quick pinch. The medicine works within minutes, and the dentist can adjust it during the visit.

You feel deeply relaxed and drowsy, and many people remember little afterward. You still breathe on your own and can respond when spoken to. Your breathing, oxygen level, heart rate, and blood pressure are watched the whole time, and the area is still numbed for the treatment.

You’ll get instructions about not eating or drinking beforehand. You’ll need an adult to drive you home and stay with you, and you shouldn’t drive until the next day.

IV sedation can suit people with severe anxiety or longer, more involved treatment. Your dentist reviews your health first and may check with your physician.