Can You Still Feel Pain With Laughing Gas?

Going through a dental procedure can be an exciting and worrisome experience. However, with the help of modern dentistry, dental operations have become much safer and less risky throughout the years. To ensure a successful dental visit, most dental clinics have adopted laughing gas to calm the patient.  

If you have a dental procedure coming up, you might be wondering if you could still feel pain even with laughing gas. To help you understand how laughing gas or nitrous oxide works, here are some facts about this gas that you should know.  

Facts About Laughing Gas

What is Laughing Gas?  

Laughing gas or nitrous oxide is a colorless and odorless gas that dentists use for minor dental operations to help make their patients calm and comfortable during their procedure. While this type of gas will not put you to sleep, it can make you drowsy. Within minutes after inhaling this gas, you’ll start to feel light-headed as the gas dulls the pain receptors in your brain.  

Will I Feel Pain During the Procedure?  

You won’t feel any pain during your dental procedure while under this sedative. Laughing gas will help prevent any pain that could directly affect your dental operation by calming your body and blocking the sensation of pain from your brain. Laughing gas is widely used because it works as an anesthetic for minor processes and dental procedures.  

Side Effects

Most people who underwent this type of sedation have felt little to no side effects after the operation. However, this doesn’t mean that this sedative has no recorded side effects. If the levels of nitrous are too high, some patients might experience the following:  

• Headaches  
• Nausea or vomiting  
• Sleepiness  
• Sweating  
• Shivering  

Want to Learn More About the Effects of Nitrous Oxide?  

Here at City Dental of Wellington, we don’t only provide dental care and perform dental procedures, but we also want to educate our patients. Our experienced and professional dentists are always ready to answer your questions. Give us a call today to talk to our experts!