So what is laughing gas?
Why do we use it?
Is it okay for anyone to have?
Technically speaking laughing gas is Nitrous Oxide or N20.
Here is a nice little diagram of its chemical make-up.
We use laughing gas to take the "edge" off.
When someone is nervous about a situation then any little stimulus will
seem a bigger then it actually is.
This is true for the dentist office as well.
Routine procedures can become overwhelming to dental phobic patients.
We therefore administer gas to remove that overly tense feel and
make the routine seem routine again.
The effect of the gas creates a slightly euphoric state in people.
Feelings of floating or tingling all over are very common.
But most of all it just makes you more relaxed.
It is a very safe product to use and unless you have some sort of respiratory
problem almost anyone can safely use it.
To tell you what exactly it does would sound something like this.......
"It seems N2O-induced release of endogenous opioids causes
disinhibition of brain stem noradrenergic neurons,
which release norepinephrine into the spinal cord and inhibit pain signaling."
But since most people have no idea what that means just trust me when I tell you
that it works, its safe, and you feel much better for having it : )
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