A little or a lot, you take the pick!
A little calmer with laughing gas
Nitrous oxide sedation, or commonly known as “laughing gas”, is an extremely safe and reliable technique aimed at achieving minimal sedation. At Chinook Smiles, we offer nitrous oxide sedation as a gentle and effective way to help our patients feel at ease while receiving dental care.
This colorless, odorless gas is administered through a comfortable mask which is worn throughout the procedure. Nitrous oxide induces a state of relaxation and euphoria, making you feel more comfortable without altering your level of consciousness. One of its key advantages is its quick onset and the fact that its effects wear off rapidly once the gas is discontinued. This means you can often drive yourself home after the appointment.
Like any form of sedation, you must be on an empty stomach, meaning no food or drinks, for a minimum of 2 hours before your scheduled appointment.
Due to its safety profile, nitrous oxide sedation is an excellent choice for patients of all ages, including children! It is available for any procedural appointments, from cleaning and filling appointments, to oral surgeries.
Take a chill pill
For adult patients who battle a higher level of dental anxiety, or for more involved procedures such as tooth extraction or implant placement, you may be seeking a sedation modality that offers a deeper level of relaxation. For the right candidate, oral sedation may be the perfect in-between choice that aims at inducing moderate sedation. This means you will feel drowsy and may even fall asleep during the procedure (although going to sleep is not a guaranteed nor is it an intended effect of moderate sedation). You may or may not remember some of the procedure.
During the consultation or preparatory appointment, your medical history will be reviewed in depth, and your vital signs measured and recorded. You will fast for a minimum 6 hours prior to your appointment, then arrive at Chinook Smiles 1 hour before the scheduled procedure time to take the sedation medication under the dentist’s supervision. The medication typically takes 40 to 60 minutes to take effect, during which time you will be closely monitored by our team member. While the lights are dimmed and you are tucked under a warm blanket, you may start to feel all that worry just slowly melting away…
Patients receiving oral sedation will be considered legally impaired for 24 hours after the sedation, so make sure you arrange for a family or friend to assist you after the appointment and take you home!
FAQs
Sedation has sometimes been referred to as sleep dentistry, but the term can be misleading. With Sedation, you may feel sleepy due to the effects of the sedatives. Also, the term sleep dentistry is sometimes connected to the use of general anesthesia. The use of general anesthesia, however, is not considered Sedation Dentistry.
Patients receiving Sedation treatments must be accompanied by a responsible caregiver who can accompany them home. If you are receiving IV or oral sedatives, we recommend that you wear comfortable clothing, as well as some music to listen to while relaxing before the treatment. After the appointment, a caregiver must stay with you until the effects of the sedation are gone.
Typically, patients should not eat or drink anything for at least six hours before receiving IV sedation to avoid any risks during the procedure.
Like any medical procedure, sedation dentistry carries some risks, but complications are extremely rare and are closely monitored by professionals.
