What is “laughing gas” or Nitrous Oxide and is it safe for my child?
Another form of sedation which many parents opt for is “laughing gas”. The medical term for “laughing gas” is nitrous oxide sedation. It is a combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen gases, administered to adults and children through a little mask which fits on the nose. The patient breathes in through the nose and the gas flows through the body allowing a general sensation of overall relaxation. The gas does not put you to “sleep” in the medical definition sense (either general or twilight anesthesia/sleep), but rather can truly allow you or your child to fall asleep during a procedure.
During other sedation procedures, the definition of “sleep” has to do with a temporary nervous system alteration (almost like being paralyzed) and the patient may stop breathing part or all of the time. During non-breathing periods, the patient’s breathing is provided by artificial means and controlled precisely throughout the “sleeping” period of the procedure.
With laughing gas, breathing is never stopped (at least not on purpose) and any “sleep” obtained is by the same means in which we do at night. Most times with laughing gas, the patient stays awake, but is so relaxed, they don’t care what is going on. They can usually carry on a conversation in some form and are very aware of what is going on. However, if their bodies are the type to be sleepy from laughing gas, they may not converse or be very aware at all.
Once the procedure is over, the dentist should allow the patient to breathe pure oxygen for five minutes to flush the remaining laughing gas out of the body. One of the best advantages of laughing gas is that once the gas is removed, the patient is usually fully returned to their normal mental and physical state with no side effects. The patient usually remembers everything about the entire experience unless they fell asleep.
Every person reacts differently to the gas. Some people laugh or become “silly”, but most people just feel relaxed or feel as if they have had a few glasses of wine. The gas only works if the patient breathes it in and the patient can more or less control their level of sedation by how they breathe. The gas dosage is also controlled by the dentist, but both the patient and doctor will both have some control in obtaining the desired effect. Unfortunately, there are some people, children included, that are not affected by the gas at all. This doesn’t occur often but can be frustrating for both the patient and the dentist.
In general, laughing gas is very safe when given appropriately. There are very few medical conditions that make the gas impossible for use. These are rare and your dentist should consult your child’s physician if there is any question. Laughing gas can pose some dangers, just as with any medication given. One of those dangers is overdose on the gas. The maximum percentage of laughing gas that can be given before “overdose” can occur is at ratios greater than seventy percent nitrous oxide.
Almost all nitrous oxide units today are now made so that it is impossible to give more than 70% nitrous oxide. They contain a special internal regulator that will not allow it to give gas at levels higher than 70 percent. Older offices may still have some of the dated laughing gas equipment that allows you to go beyond the seventy percent dosage. If you or your child are seeing a dentist in which the office appears “out of date” with respect to technology or the appearance, be sure to ask if their laughing gas unit has the protective device on it.
Laughing gas is a great first option to consider for your child should they need any form of sedation. If your child is a “screamer” or very apprehensive, you may find that they will refuse to even put the mask over their nose. Exceptionally fearful children may have the same problem, but you can always attempt it and move forward with another type of sedation if unsuccessful. Remember, the goal here it to give children a positive dental experience so they don’t acquire dental phobias as adults. So it will often require a team effort and a lot of patience!
Tags: Anesthesia, Dentist, Laugh, Mask, Medical Definition, Medical Term, Nervous System, Nitrous Oxide, Oxygen Gases, Pure Oxygen, Relaxation, Sedation, Sensation, Sleep, Twilight Sleep, What Is Laughing Gas