Long story short: I'm 41 and going to have my very first tooth extraction in January. It's a wisdom tooth that is starting to decay (I was in my 20's when I got my wisdom teeth and they came in fine). I told my dentist that I am nervous about it and he said that I could go to an oral surgeon and be put out or he could do it with nitrous oxide.

I'm going to try the nitrous oxide. Any one have any negative response to nitrous oxide? I have a strong gag reflex and am a dentist chicken.

I think the stuff is great! I had it lots of times when I was younger (my dentist when I was a child would use it for all fillings, etc.). To me it is like having a sedative but as soon as they are done and remove the mask, you are feeling totally normal! While you are breathing it you won't care what they are doing. Also, my DH had a wisdom tooth removed about two years ago. They numbed his gum with gel before the shot, so basically he felt nothing the whole time he was there. He was in and out of there in less than ten minutes and never had any pain afterwards that couldn't be taken care of with extra strength tylenol.

Good luck!

Nancy

I had all four of mine out with novacaine. Can't use the gas as it makes me nauseous. But I had no feeling while it was done and no pain afterwards...a little sore but that was about it.

My dentist uses nitrous oxide for all dental procedures.. it is great.. like the other poster wrote you won't care what they do.. nothing will hurt and you'll be as calm as can be..

Thanks for the answers. I could go to an oral surgeon, but my dentist is very calming and I trust him.

I've had all four of mine removed. With the first two I had it done in a dentist's office with only novacaine. I didn't even know when it was over, it was a simple procedure. With the last two (YEARS ago), I was knocked out. It was a different dentist (oral surgeon) I had a lot of nausea afterwards mainly due to swallowing a lot of blood (so I was told). Needless to say, If I had it to do over I would have them all removed using only novacaine.

Good luck!

Nitrous Oxide is the best LEGAL high you can get lol... They gave it to me before knocking me out for my wisdom teeth, and lets just say I was having a really good time. It's like you're floating on clouds and you have a feeling of euphoria...You won't care what they are doing to you :D

My dentist uses it for all extractions unless it's refused. Its main effect on me is that it makes me talk a lot. For a simple extraction a couple of months ago, that was about the only thing it did. For a more complicated one a few days ago, where I was in there for about an hour, things got pretty interesting--I felt like I was spinning and sounds got really interesting. The machine they sucked blood out of my mouth with started to sound like a far-off machine gun. I knew exactly what it was, though (I knew everything that was going on, it was just more interesting than usual), and it didn't scare me.

On the other hand, it made my mom cry. Notice that I didn't say it made her sad; she just cried with no real change in mood. This was a different dentist.

I must be a weirdo, I had it for a root canal, and it did absolutely nothing for me. Not a thing, Good the the novacaine worked really well. I was a wreck.