If your child is scheduled for a pediatric dentistry procedure soon, you may be a bit concerned about the anesthetic, especially if it’s your child’s first time with nitrous oxide. There’s great news, though: nitrous oxide is a highly reliable choice for pediatric dentistry procedure, and there are multiple reasons that the Pediatric Dentistry of Central Florida team uses it for young patients. Read on to learn what parents should know about nitrous oxide and why it’s the best choice for pediatric dentistry procedures.
Nitrous Oxide: The Top Choice For Pain and Anxiety Relief in Pediatric Dentistry
Nitrous oxide is the number one choice when your child needs a procedure at Pediatric Dentistry of Central Florida. You may have heard nitrous oxide referred to as “laughing gas” before. The reason for the funny nickname is that nitrous oxide gives your child a sense of well being, happiness, and even mild euphoria. Some kids get the giggles and may even make some funny comments or observations. Your child will be thoroughly relaxed, and most likely quite drowsy but still awake during their procedure. Nitrous oxide is excellent at reducing anxiety and making your child feel completely comfortable, even if they’re feeling some worry or anxiety before their dental procedure.
Nitrous oxide isn’t only great at reducing anxiety — it’s also powerful in terms of pain relief. You won’t have to worry about your child experiencing pain or even discomfort during their procedure when they have nitrous oxide. In some cases, the pediatric dentist may use local anesthetic injections in combination with the nitrous oxide to numb the treatment area, particularly in cases of more complex dental issues.
Nitrous oxide is widely considered to be a safe and reliable way to make even young children feel comfortable and secure during dental procedures. Nitrous oxide is a far superior choice to other types of anesthesia that have overly strong effects, or that have potentially unsafe side effects in young patients.
Before Nitrous Oxide: Easy Preparation
The preparation for nitrous oxide dental procedures is very easy and straightforward. Your child’s dentistry care provider at Pediatric Dentistry of Central Florida will give you specific advice about nitrous oxide prep, but in general it’s fine for your child to eat a light meal, such as toast, a few hours ahead of their appointment and then nothing further until their treatment. You can reassure your child that they’ll be relaxed and comfortable during the procedure — and that you can stay with them if they’d like.
After Nitrous Oxide: The Recovery Advantage
Another big benefit of nitrous oxide is that the recovery is very easy. Many kids don’t even remember the dental procedure afterwards, which is a big benefit in terms of making them comfortable in the dental chair. Once your child’s procedure is finished, the nitrous oxide mask is turned off. Then, your child inhales pure oxyen for several minutes, which clears away lingering nitrous oxide.
Your child will recover from their nitrous oxide procedure very rapidly. You should watch over your child to make sure they’re feeling fine. If your child experiences nausea, vomiting, or feels generally unwell, have them rest and drink water or other clear liquids until they’re feeling like themselves again. Most kids tolerate nitrous oxide extremely well and are back to their regular activities the next morning after their procedure. With such a simple and easy recovery, most kids feel much more relaxed about future dentistry procedures. After all, they never have to be in pain or stressed with nitrous oxide, so it’s much easier to deal with!
The experienced pediatric dentistry team at Pediatric Dentistry of Central Florida is dedicated to compassionate and gentle dental care for kids, along with great support for parents. You can arrange your child’s appointment at one of the two convenient locations in the Orlando area through the online contact form or by calling the Maitland office at (407) 628-2286 or the St. Cloud office at (407) 593-8900 today. The Pediatric Dentistry of Central Florida team looks forward to seeing you and your child soon!
