sedation dentistry Grand Prairie • nitrous oxide

dental services • grand prairie, tx

Nitrous Oxide is a sweet smelling, non irritating, colorless gas which you can breathe.

Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) has been the the primary means of sedation in dentistry for many years. Nitrous oxide is safe, the patient receives 50-70% oxygen with no less than 30% nitrous oxide.

The patient is able to breathe on their own and remain in control of all bodily functions.

The patient may experience mild amnesia and may fall asleep not remembering all of what happened during their appointment.

There are many advantages to using Nitrous Oxide:

Reasons to not use Nitrous Oxide.

Though there are no major contraindications to using nitrous oxide, you may not want to use it if you have emphysema, exotic chest problems, M.S., a cold or other difficulties with breathing.

You may want to ask your dentist for a "5 minute trial" to see how you feel with this type of sedation method before proceeding.

Sedation Dentistry

The term "Sedation Dentistry", as used in Dr. Harrison's practice, refers to an approach to dental care which utilizes the best that medicine and dentistry have to offer for achieving treatment goals in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. This is simply the best way to approach dental health care. It keeps in mind that the mouth is attached to a body, and that body is controlled by a mind which can be stressed by the idea of dental treatment as well as by the treatment itself.

Dr. Harrison is trained in all levels of conscious sedation and has equipped his office and trained his staff to provide the appropriate monitoring necessary to safely administer sedation medications. As a rule, about 1/3 of our comprehensive treatment cases choose this method of making their procedures more pleasant. A side effect which is a bonus when using sedation is that the appointment time seems incredibly short. Three hours might seem like 20 minutes.

Patients choosing conscious sedation have to arrange for an adult driver to bring them to their appointments and to take them home afterward. Some of the medications used will still be active for several hours following treatment.

Many of our patients come to us simply because of our ability to deliver sedation safely along with excellent dental care. If this is an area of interest to you, please ask about sedation dentistry when you initially contact our office.

Dr. Harrison feels that being a sedation-trained dentist is a critical part of caring for the "complete dental patient".