3301 Woodburn Road, Suite 311
Annandale, VA 22003
Phone: 703-828-0048
Fax: 703-649-0766
RELAXED DENTISTRY
Relaxed Dentistry
Relaxed Dentistry Specialist
In addition to routine analgesia and local anesthetics, Atlantic Health Group offers relaxed dentistry for painless dental procedures to residents of Annandale, Virginia. Patients can rest assured under the care of our comfortable Annandale dentists.
Relaxed Dentistry Q & A
Atlantic Health Group - Nitrous Oxide in Annandale, VA
What is Nitrous Oxide?
Nitrous oxide is an odorless, colorless gas that has been used in anesthesia for over a century. To achieve its effects, the patient breathes nitrous oxide through a mask. The nitrous oxide is mixed with oxygen, so that you get enough nitrous oxide to experience the effects but you can still breathe. Your dentist can vary the percentage of nitrous oxide that you’re breathing, in order to increase or decrease the effect of the anesthesia.
What are its effects?
Nitrous oxide has a variety of effects on patients. Even in low doses, it’s very effective at reducing anxiety. It produces an analgesic, or pain-blocking, effect, so that you don’t feel much pain during a procedure. It tends to produce a feeling of euphoria. This is the origin of its alternate name, “laughing gas.” All of these effects together make it very useful for those with dental anxiety. The medication will reduce your anxiety, help to block pain from the procedure (a local anesthetic similar to Novocain will also be used to ensure adequate pain control), and even help you to feel good while you’re at the dentist.
Unlike with a general anesthetic, patients taking nitrous oxide remain conscious, although they’re drowsy and will later have little to no memory of the procedure itself. This can help the dentist perform the procedure, because the patient can respond to simple requests such as “open your mouth a little wider” to give the dentist a better view.
What are the after effects?
Nitrous oxide wears off relatively quickly. This means that patients must breathe nitrous oxide throughout the procedure in order for it to remain effective. However, it also means that the patient will be able to drive home afterward. With some other types of sedation, such as oral sedation with pills, patients remain drowsy for up to a few hours after taking the medication, and therefore they are unable to drive safely and need a ride home from the dentist’s office.
However nitrous oxide wears off within a few minutes after you stop breathing it. This means that you’ll be able to drive home yourself after a short waiting period. For those who don’t have a trusted family member or close friend available at the time of their appointment to drive them home, this makes nitrous oxide a good choice for sedation. Atlantic Health Group caters to dental phobias and our comfortable dentist in Annandale will take care of your dental needs.
