Visiting the dentist regularly is critically important to protecting your teeth, so if you’re the sort of person who is too anxious to visit the dentist, you’re probably depriving yourself of the oral healthcare that you desperately need.
Sedation dentistry, and nitrous oxide in particular, can be incredibly useful for patients of all ages who are nervous at the dentist’s office. If that sounds like something that would be interesting to you, here’s what you should know about nitrous oxide sedation before your treatment.
Nitrous Oxide is Completely Safe
As with any drug used in a professional context, some patients are concerned about the safety of nitrous oxide. The truth is that complications from dental sedation are unbelievably rare, and nitrous oxide is one of the safest sedatives available.
Your dentist is able to completely control the flow of gas over the duration of the procedure, all while monitoring your vitals to gauge the effectiveness of the drug. As long as it’s administered by a professional, nitrous oxide is completely safe.
There are Other Sedatives Out There
Nitrous oxide is far from the only kind of sedative out there, nor is it the only one used in dentistry. Depending on the severity of the anxiety you’re dealing with, there are more powerful sedatives that may potentially work better for you.
IV sedation, for example, is used in certain circumstances when greater sedation is needed, like in the case of some developmentally disabled patients who have trouble sitting still for dental treatment. In some extreme circumstances, dentists may even use general anesthesia, although this is exceedingly rare.
Nitrous Oxide is Great for Kids
If you’re the parent of a fussy or anxious child, you may be happy to learn that nitrous oxide is used incredibly often for kids, and that it’s been demonstrated to be completely safe for them in a dental context.
Nitrous oxide is typically the mildest form of sedation, meaning that it won’t be overwhelmingly powerful. Your dentist also has complete control over the flow of gas, which means they can monitor the dosage carefully when sedating children.
About Our Practice
At Danville Pediatrics & Orthodontics, we have a team of board-certified pediatric dentists who are happy to treat patients of all ages, no matter their issue. We believe that preventing a disease is often much more effective than treating it, which is why we try to emphasize education and getting kids to take charge of their own oral health.
If you have any questions about nitrous oxide sedation, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (925) 575-8878.