If you went to the dentist as a child, you might remember the bubbly, giggly feeling when breathing happy air. Nitrous oxide, also called “laughing gas” or “happy air,” can help relieve pain, anxiety, and gag reflex for kids of all ages. Don’t worry – if laughing gas is given, your child will still be awake throughout the procedure!

 

Nitrous oxide is safe for kids, and it works by helping them feel sleepy and relaxed. If you’ve never had laughing gas, its effects are best described as warm, happy, tingly, relaxed, dreamy or floaty.

  

While inhaling nitrous oxide, some people experience euphoria, but a feeling of complete calm is actually more common than a round of the giggles. After the dental procedure, the effects of laughing gas wear off quickly so your child is back to their normal selves before leaving, but fair warning – your child might start to associate the dentist chair with a rocking good time!