Looking for a local dentist that uses nitrous oxide?
Are you Afraid of the dentist? If you want to find a pain free dentist or a Qualified Sedation Dentist in Marrickville, Sydney, the team at Garners Dental have many years of experience of working with anxious patients, we can help you too.
Fear of pain is the main reason people avoid seeing the dentist but the good news is we offer a number of medications and techniques — used alone or in combination — that can reduce or eliminate pain and control anxiety during most procedures.
Medications used for Pain Free Dentistry
Most patients are happily treated with a topical anaesthetic. Topical anaesthetics are applied with a swab to numb the gums in the area of the mouth where the dental work will be done. Once the topical anaesthetic has completely numbed the area, an injection with a local anaesthetic, such as Lidocaine is administered. In truth people rarely feel the injection after the topical anaesthetic has numbed the gum but some people fear
the needle more than the pain, and if that includes you, don’t worry, you are not alone and we have solutions for that too.
Each patient is unique and so are our treatment plans.
Each patient is unique. Garners dentists are trained to provide a myriad of protocols to meet your individual needs. That means we take into account whatever medications you may be taking, what dental treatments you need and the years since your last visit to the dentist before recommending a safe, effective and painless way to get the smile you’ve always wanted.
Sedatives can be given to patients a variety of ways, including by mouth, under the tongue, inhaled through the nose or intravenously (through the veins). While many of those receiving sedation at a dental surgery will take the medication orally, one of the most effective methods is Nitrous oxide which is an odourless and colourless gas. Dentistry has relied upon nitrous oxide since 1844.
Nitrous oxide (also called laughing gas) is one of the safest anaesthetics available. It is applied through a mask that fits snugly over the nose, approximately five minutes before the dental procedure. We can vary the depth of sedation depending on your level of anxiety.
Effects wear off quickly after the gas is turned off. This is the only form of sedation under which patients can drive after the procedure and can eat food within a 12-hour period of the procedure. With IV, oral and general
anaesthesia, the patient cannot drive following the procedure or eat after midnight the night before the procedure.
What is Relaxation Dentistry?
Nitrous oxide inhalation sedation has helped many people who have avoided dental treatment to overcome their dental anxiety. It helps people feel relaxed which is why it is often called relaxation dentistry, and is one of the most common forms of sedation used in by dentists.
Which Patients should use Nitrous Oxide?
Relaxation dentistry can help you to receive the dental care you need and is a preferred option for people who have any of these issues:
- A fear of needles and shots
- A high level of fear or anxiety about going to the dentist
- A strong dislike of the noises, smells and taste associated with dental care
- An overactive gag reflex
- Complex dental problems
- Difficulty in getting numb
- Have suffered past traumatic dental experiences
- Need to squeeze several procedures into a limited time period
- TMJ-related difficulties where it is uncomfortable to open their mouth for extended periods
- Very sensitive teeth
Nitrous oxide is often used in paediatric dentistry
Nitrous oxide is often used in paediatric dentistry so that a child’s early experience of going to the dentist is not a traumatic one, especially if they require a significant procedure.
How long do the effects of Nitrous Oxide last?
Nitrous oxide’s sedation effect is felt within minutes, and the effect wears off within minutes after the gas is stopped. The sedation effect takes anywhere from 30 seconds to three or four minutes to begin. The patient’s cheeks and gums will also begin to feel numb in about a third of the patients. After treatment, patients are free of the gas’ effects.
Laughing gas precautions and benefits
Two hours prior to use of the gas, patients should not eat. Nitrous oxide sedation has few if any side effects and produces no known allergic response. However, high doses can cause nausea in some patients. About 10% of patients do not achieve a nitrous oxide sedation benefit
Why Patients Like Oral Sedation
Patients love the benefits of oral sedation. You are responsive the whole time. You can answer questions and have no problem opening your mouth when the dentist says “open wide”.
What patients like most, is the amnesia effect. You simply don’t remember the sights and sounds that come with a visit to the dentist. In fact, hours seem like minutes, which is a huge benefit if you want to get a lot of work done in one visit. The team at our surgery take very good care of you too! You’re never left alone and all of your needs are met.
Garners Dental patients tell us, the next day is amazing; their mouth is totally comfortable, they feel invigorated and they get to show off their new smile.
There are so many reasons to smile; isn’t it time you restored yours?