At Soldotna Dental Arts, we understand that dental anxiety is a real and common problem among dentistry patients of all ages, resulting in countless skipped appointments and worsening smile damage that could have been avoided. Our skilled sedation dentist in Soldtona, AK, Dr. Christensen, and the rest of our staff work hard to create a comforting, pleasant environment for every visit, but this isn’t always enough to quell frazzled nerves. Thankfully, sedation dentistry can lend a helping hand. If you’d like to learn more about our sedative techniques or arrange this type of care for your next visit, contact us today in Soldotna, AK.
Why Choose Soldotna Dental Arts for Sedation Dentistry?
Two Types of Sedation Available for Patients
Trusted & Knowledgeable Dentist with Years of Experience
Calming Dental Team & Amenities
Dental Anxiety Relief
At Soldotna Dental Arts, we understand that dental anxiety is a common issue that often leads to skipped appointments and worsening dental health. Dr. Christensen and our team strive to create a comforting environment with amenities like neck pillows, blankets, nitrous oxide, and medications to help ease anxiety. Many patients who were initially hesitant due to past experiences have found our office to be a welcoming place where they can achieve the smile they’ve always wanted. We take pride in turning anxious patients into "patients for life," helping them replace fear with confidence in their dental care.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas, was first used as a dental sedation treatment almost two centuries ago, and since then it has proven itself to be a safe and effective way to ensure a dental patient’s comfort. This remarkable treatment can induce a temporary sense of calmness and well-being without any lingering side effects, and it allows many people to receive the dental work they need despite anxiety or difficulty sitting still. Here’s some information on what nitrous oxide is, how it is used, and the benefits it can provide, but please contact our Soldotna office if you’d like to know more.
Who is a Good Candidate for Nitrous Oxide?
Nitrous oxide involves no long-term side effects and can be safely used to treat adults and children with issues like:
A fear of needles
Difficulty sitting still
Sensitive teeth
An oversensitive gag reflex
Anxiety about seeing the dentist
Difficulty feeling the effects of other dental sedation treatments
However, nitrous oxide may not be a suitable treatment for you if you are pregnant, have sinus congestion or a respiratory disease, have a history of substance abuse, or are taking medication that can interfere with the sedative effect. Before recommending this treatment, Dr. Christensen will review your medical history to ensure that you can receive it safely.
How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?
Dentists mix nitrous oxide with oxygen and administer it through a host attached to a mask placed over the nose, and you can expect to feel its effects within a minute or two after you begin inhaling the gas. You will experience a sense of calmness, lightness, and relaxation, and your pain and reaction thresholds will be increased so you don’t feel discomfort or react as easily to stimuli. However, you will be able to remain awake and respond to our dentist’s questions and instructions. Nitrous oxide is eliminated from the body within fifteen minutes of the end of the treatment, and patients will be able to drive themselves home after its effects have worn off.
Aftercare for Nitrous Oxide
While you will not experience any lingering side effects from nitrous oxide, you will still need to stay at the office for a few minutes after your procedure so the treatment can wear off. Afterward, you will feel back to normal and be able to drive yourself home or back to work or school, and you will be able to resume your usual daily activities immediately. While nitrous oxide treatment doesn’t require any aftercare, it’s still important to comply with your dentist’s at-home care instructions for the procedure you received while sedated.
Sedation Dentistry FAQs
Is nitrous oxide safe?
Nitrous oxide is a perfectly safe option for most of our patients. This remarkable sedation treatment can safely lower a patient’s sensitivity to discomfort and induce a sense of calmness and wellbeing that can take much stress out of a dental procedure, and it does this without any lingering side effects. While you are receiving nitrous oxide, you can expect to remain fully conscious, and we will carefully monitor your vital signs while you are in our care. The effects of nitrous oxide wear off within minutes of the treatment ending, so you can expect to be able to drive yourself home or back to work afterward.
While I remember anything with dental sedation?
While you’ll be awake when receiving nitrous oxide, you may have some trouble remembering the details of your procedure. This effect may be favorable for some patients with dental anxiety since it can prevent them from developing new stressful associations that may make it harder to receive needed oral health treatments in the future.
What does nitrous oxide sedation feel like?
Patients receiving nitrous oxide often report feelings of lightness, relaxation, and euphoria, and some even report a slight tingling sensation in their arms and legs. Some patients may develop a slight case of the giggles, which is how nitrous oxide earned the nickname “laughing gas.” While some patients may develop slight cases of dizziness, headache, or nausea, the effects of nitrous oxide will disappear within several minutes of the treatment’s end, so these side effects should fade quickly. You can expect to be coordinated and alert enough to drive yourself home after the treatment wears off.
Does dental sedation make you tell secrets?
While you may have seen scenes in movies or cartoons in which a character confesses some embarrassing secret while receiving nitrous oxide, this is exceedingly unlikely to happen in real life. Even if you do happen to say something silly, you can rest assured that our staff will not take it seriously or repeat it outside of the office.
Does nitrous oxide put you to sleep?
While sedation dentistry is sometimes called “sleep dentistry,” nitrous oxide does not typically put people to sleep. However, your memories of the experience may be slightly fuzzy afterward, which may make it seem like you drifted off during the procedure. Since nitrous oxide is eliminated from the body shortly after the treatment ends, you can expect its effects to fade quickly so you can drive yourself away from our office afterward.
