Comfort
Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas
A mild sedative that helps a child relax during cleanings and treatment, while they stay awake and able to respond. Available at all three offices in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
Why I use it
For the child who wants to cooperate but can’t quite
Plenty of children arrive wanting to be brave and find that their body won’t let them. They tense up, the tears start, and no amount of explaining gets past it. Nitrous oxide takes the edge off that enough for the child to manage — and, just as importantly, to leave with a memory of having coped.
It helps most with anxiety and with a strong gag reflex, and it makes a long appointment feel shorter. It isn’t a substitute for numbing — if your child needs an area numbed, they’ll still need that — and it isn’t a way of overriding a child who is saying no. If the mask isn’t accepted willingly, we stop and find another route.
Explained plainly
What is nitrous oxide?
Here is what it means for your child, in plain language.
- What it is
- A mild sedative, often called laughing gas, that helps your child relax.
- How it’s given
- Your child breathes it through a small mask that rests over the nose. Nothing goes in the mouth and there’s no injection involved in giving it.
- How it feels
- Most children describe feeling floaty, warm or tingly in the fingers and toes. Some find it funny, which is where the name comes from.
- During the visit
- Your child stays awake and able to respond, hear you, and raise a hand to pause.
- Afterward
- The effects wear off within minutes of the mask coming off. Most children go back to school or daycare the same day.
- What it isn’t
- It is not general anesthesia. Your child is not put to sleep.
- Tell me about
- Any breathing difficulty, a blocked nose, a recent cold, or any medication your child takes. I check all of this before using it.
Who it suits
And who it doesn’t
It helps anxious children, children with a strong gag reflex, children facing a longer appointment, and many children with special healthcare needs — for whom it can be the difference between care that happens and care that doesn’t.
It’s less suitable for a child who can’t breathe comfortably through the nose, which includes a child with a heavy cold on the day. It’s also the wrong tool for a child who simply won’t keep the mask on, and for treatment too extensive to complete in the chair. For children who need treatment under general anesthesia, I refer to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD). If nitrous oxide isn’t right for your child, I’ll say so and we’ll talk about what is.
Care for children with special healthcare needsCommon questions
Questions parents ask
Is nitrous oxide the same as general anesthesia?
No. Your child breathes nitrous oxide through a small nose mask, stays awake and able to respond, and the effects wear off soon after the mask comes off.
Will my child be asleep?
No. Your child stays awake the whole time and can hear you, answer questions and raise a hand. It makes them feel calm and a little floaty rather than unconscious.
How long do the effects last?
They wear off within minutes of the mask coming off, once your child has breathed ordinary oxygen for a short while. Most children go back to school or daycare the same day.
Does my child need an empty stomach?
A light meal is usually fine, and a very full stomach is best avoided. Tell us when you book and we’ll give you guidance for your child.
Is it safe?
Nitrous oxide has been used in dentistry for well over a century and is among the most studied options for helping children through treatment. I review your child’s medical history before using it, which is why it matters that we know about any breathing problems, blocked nose, or recent illness.
What if my child won’t wear the mask?
Then we don’t use it. The mask has to be accepted willingly for it to work, and forcing it would undo the point. If your child refuses, we find another way through.
What if my child needs general anesthesia?
I treat children in the office with nitrous oxide. For children who need treatment under general anesthesia, I refer them to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD).
Can it be used for a cleaning as well as treatment?
Yes. I use it for cleanings as well as for fillings and other treatment, whenever it would help a child get through the visit more comfortably.
Ask about it
Call and ask whether it would help your child
Office hours are 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM. Tell the team what worries your child and we’ll talk it through before you book.