7 min read • By Dr. Kevin Baharvand, DMD, MS • Updated August 2026
The short answer
No. Laughing gas does not knock you out. Nitrous oxide is a mild inhaled sedative that leaves you awake, talking, and aware of what is happening, just considerably less bothered by it. It kicks in within a few minutes, it wears off within about five minutes of breathing pure oxygen at the end, and in most cases you can drive yourself home. That last part is the main thing separating it from every other kind of dental sedation.
The name does a lot of damage here. People hear laughing gas and picture either being unconscious or giggling uncontrollably in the chair, and neither one is what happens.
What actually happens is duller than that, which is the point. You breathe a mix of nitrous oxide and oxygen through a small mask over your nose. Within a few minutes you feel warm and slightly floaty, your fingers might tingle, and the appointment stops feeling like a big deal. You are awake the entire time. You can answer questions. You will remember it.
It is the lightest form of sedation in dentistry, and for a lot of people it is the only one they ever need.
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What it actually feels like
Most people describe it as a mild floating sensation, sometimes with tingling in the hands and feet. Time compresses. A forty minute appointment feels like fifteen.
The anxiety piece is the real benefit. Nitrous does not do much for pain on its own, which surprises people. If there is drilling involved, you still get local anesthetic. What nitrous does is take the edge off the part of the visit that is happening in your head rather than in your mouth.
It is also adjustable minute to minute. If you feel too floaty, we turn it down and you feel normal again within a couple of minutes. There is no committing to a dose and riding it out.
Why it wears off so fast
Nitrous oxide is not metabolized much by the body. You breathe it in, and at the end of the appointment you breathe pure oxygen for about five minutes and you breathe most of it back out.
That is why it is the only dental sedation where you generally do not need a ride. With oral sedation or IV sedation, you are legally and practically impaired for hours and somebody has to drive you. With nitrous, most people sit up, wait a few minutes, and go back to work.
Ask your own office to confirm before you plan around it, because policies vary and so do people.
How it compares to the other options
Sedation in dentistry is a spectrum, not a switch. Here is roughly where each one sits.
| Option | What it is | Are you awake | Ride home needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrous oxide | Inhaled gas through a nose mask, adjustable during the visit | Yes, fully aware and responsive | Usually not |
| Oral sedation | A pill taken before the appointment | Drowsy, often hazy on the details afterward | Yes |
| IV sedation | Medication through an IV, titrated by a trained provider | In and out, generally no memory of the procedure | Yes |
| General anesthesia | Fully unconscious, in a hospital or surgical setting | No | Yes |
If you are here because of wisdom teeth specifically, nitrous is usually not the right tool. That conversation is about IV sedation, and we walk through it step by step in our guide to wisdom teeth removal with IV sedation.
Nitrous and kids
This is where nitrous earns its keep. For a nervous six year old getting a first filling, it is often the difference between a routine visit and a fight that sets the tone for the next decade of dental appointments.
Kids handle it well, the dose is adjustable, and it clears just as fast for them as it does for adults. The mask is the part that takes selling, not the gas. Once a kid figures out the mask smells like strawberry and nothing scary happens, the rest is easy.
It is also the sensible first step before anyone starts talking about deeper sedation for a child. Plenty of kids who were labeled as needing sedation just needed a slower appointment and a nose mask.
When it is not a good fit
Nitrous has been used in dentistry for well over a century and its safety record is excellent, but it is not for everyone and it is not for every appointment.
A stuffy nose is the most common practical problem. The gas goes in through your nose, so if you cannot breathe through it, the whole thing is a non starter. Reschedule if you have a cold.
Beyond that, it is generally avoided in early pregnancy, and it needs a conversation first if you have significant respiratory disease, a history of middle ear surgery, or a vitamin B12 deficiency. Some people also just do not like the sensation, which is a perfectly good reason to skip it.
The American Dental Association makes the same basic point about all sedation: the right choice depends on the procedure and on you, and it is a conversation to have before the day of the appointment, not while you are already in the chair.
Tell the office about your anxiety when you book, not when you sit down. Almost everything that makes a dental visit easier has to be set up in advance.
What it costs and whether insurance covers it
Nitrous is usually billed as a separate line item per appointment, and coverage is inconsistent. Many plans cover it for children and decline it for adults, on the reasoning that it is a comfort measure rather than a necessity.
Ask for the number when you schedule. Any office should be able to tell you what it adds to the visit before you decide, and it belongs on the written estimate like anything else.
Common questions
Does laughing gas put you to sleep?
No. Nitrous oxide is a mild sedative, not a general anesthetic. You stay awake, aware, and able to respond the entire time. Some people get drowsy, but nobody goes under.
Will I remember the appointment?
Yes, generally. Nitrous does not reliably block memory the way IV sedation does. Time may feel compressed, but you will remember being there.
Can I drive myself home after nitrous oxide?
Usually yes. It clears within about five minutes of breathing pure oxygen at the end of the visit. Confirm with your own office, since policies differ.
Does it stop the pain of a filling?
Not by itself. Nitrous mostly handles anxiety. You still get local anesthetic for anything that would otherwise hurt.
Is it safe for children?
Yes, and it is commonly used. It is adjustable, it clears quickly, and it is the sensible first option before anyone considers deeper sedation for a child.
Who should avoid nitrous oxide?
Anyone who cannot breathe through their nose that day, and generally anyone in early pregnancy. It also warrants a conversation first if you have significant respiratory disease, a history of middle ear surgery, or a B12 deficiency.
Nervous about a visit? Say so when you book
We would rather set up nitrous, a longer appointment, and a slower pace ahead of time than discover halfway through that you needed it. Tell us on the phone and we will plan the visit around it.
You may also be interested in these
- Wisdom teeth removal with IV sedation, step by step
- When should kids start going to the dentist?
- How to choose the best dentist in Frisco, TX
About Tribute Family Dentistry
200+ five-star Google reviews • Family owned and independent • D Magazine Best Dentist 2026 • Living Magazine Readers' Choice 2026 • Se habla espanol
Tribute is a family owned, independent practice on FM 423 in Frisco. I own it with my wife, Dr. Julia Kang, DMD, MS. We both trained at Boston University and we are both members of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon national honor society. I am a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. Day to day, most patients and their kids see Dr. Christina Pham, DMD, our general and family dentist, and oral surgery is handled by Dr. David Roberts, DDS, who has been doing it for more than 35 years. D Magazine named me a Best Dentist for 2026, and Living Magazine readers voted us Best Family Dentist in Frisco and Plano the same year.
We handle the whole family in one place: cleanings and preventive care, fillings, crowns, bridges, implants, root canals, extractions and wisdom teeth, whitening, night guards, and emergency visits. We are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, we speak Spanish, we work with most major insurance plans, and we run an in house savings plan for families without dental benefits.
If you need braces or clear aligners, that is the other side of what we do. Elate Orthodontics, our sister practice, treats kids, teens, and adults out of three offices in Frisco and The Colony.
Tribute Family Dentistry
5605 FM 423, Suite 600-B, Frisco, TX 75036
Book an appointment: (469) 598-1021
About the author: Dr. Kevin Baharvand, DMD, MS is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and a national speaker on clear aligner treatment. His clinical work was selected for the cover of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. He and his wife, Dr. Julia Kang, own Tribute Family Dentistry and Elate Orthodontics in Frisco, Texas.
