You must have come across videos of people who act funny or loopy after getting sedation by a dentist or dental procedures such as the extraction of wisdom teeth. Perhaps you may be astonished as to why sedation makes people act in a strange manner. What is the reason why people act this way, and how does it help in dentistry?

As a matter of fact, sedation works by altering your brain chemistry so that the effect may lead to changes in behavior as well as consciousness. There are many kinds of sedatives and no matter what type you use, the effects are similar. It affects certain brain parts and functions and this alters your behavior and state of consciousness.

For the cases where nitrous oxide is used, the gas helps to block certain neurotransmitters in the brain which are responsible for causing anxiety. It also acts by causing the release of a chemical in the brain that helps to reduce pain and help you to feel relaxed and comfortable.

Oral conscious sedation, which employs benzodiazepine-based medication, alters your brain activity by enhancing the effects of gamma, which can assist in reducing anxiety, affect your emotions, memory, and ability to think rationally.

The different effects of Nitrous Oxide and Oral Conscious Sedation

First, we should know that different sedation types have varying effects on the people who use them. There is the oral conscious sedation which is pill-based and the nitrous oxide sedation. 

1. Nitrous oxide 

Most of the funny incidents that happen inside the dentist’s office can be linked to nitrous oxide. It makes the patient feel somewhat funny and in some instances, the patients may be laughing at those things that happen around them. However, the change that this has is just short-lived and will get over in just a few minutes.

How long do the effects of nitrous oxide take? Fortunately, the effects that are experienced after using laughing gas wear off as soon as the dental procedure is completed. That should be about 5 minutes after the procedure is completed. You will be able to do the things that you have always engaged in without problems. You will feel nauseated, but this will wear out within just a short period of time.

2. Oral conscious sedation

This option is used for dental procedures that are mostly invasive and which will take several minutes or hours to be completed.  This sedation could last for up to 6 hours after the procedure and may have effects on your memory, emotional state, and decision-making.

Final Verdict

There are a lot of viral vines of people who have gone through anesthesia online and you will be amazed at them. However, this can be attributed to the effects that nitrous oxide, which is common sedation can have on the users. It can interfere with your memory, especially in the short term,and may cause changes in your emotional state.