Many people get very anxious when it’s time to go to the dentist. They may have had a bad experience at one time, or they may just be worried about the possibility of pain. Dr. Amy Shoumer understands, and her practice can help to alleviate your anxiety with nitrous oxide sedation in her Bryn Mawr office.
You may have heard nitrous oxide referred to colloquially as ‘laughing gas,’ and it definitely helps alleviate your anxiety. It’s a mild sedative that you breath in as a gas that is administered using a mask – no injections required. After the procedure is over, you recover very quickly since you breathe the gas out of your body quickly.
Most patients who receive nitrous oxide as a sedative are able to drive themselves home following their appointment. Additionally, you don’t go to sleep with nitrous oxide. You will be awake during the entire procedure, and you will be able to hear the dentist and talk to her.
The nice thing about using nitrous oxide is that you can eat a light meal before the procedure so you don’t have to deal with fasting. During the procedure, the nitrous oxide will help you to feel relaxed and a little sleepy, but you’ll still be completely aware of what is happening.
While giving this mild sedative, our professional staff will be monitoring your level of sedation to ensure you are still able to cooperate and follow instructions. Other sedatives may be used as well to eliminate any pain you might feel during the procedure.
Once the procedure is over, the gas is shut off and the staff will continue to monitor you until you have completely recovered from the sedative effects. This usually takes very little time, but we like to make sure you won’t suffer any side effects, like nausea, from the nitrous oxide.
We recommend you drink some water to help you stay hydrated and overcome the effects of the sedative completely. Of course, if you’ve also been injected with a local anesthetic, you’ll want to be careful about chewing anything so that you don’t bite your cheek while it is still numb.
We take your comfort seriously. Dr. Shoumer uses the most advanced technology to help ensure that you won’t feel any pain during a procedure, and if you feel overly anxious, she will use the appropriate techniques, like nitrous oxide sedation, to help alleviate your fears.
We believe the more comfortable your procedure, the more likely you are to come back and take good care of your oral health. Our main goal is your health! Contact our Bryn Mawr office today to make a pain-free appointment!
