Laughing gas saved my sanity during my root canal

nwalker12 · 2026-02-28T13:22:16Z

Root canals used to be my worst nightmare—like, I’d rather do my taxes with a toothache than sit in that chair. But last month, I finally had to face the music. My dentist offered me nitrous oxide (laughing gas), and honestly, it was a total game changer. I was super anxious going in, but once the mask was on, it felt like I was floating and the whole thing was way less scary. I could still hear and talk, but the edge was totally gone. The best part? I didn’t feel groggy after, just kind of mellow for a bit. I’d always thought you had to go full IV sedation for something like a root canal, but this was so much easier and didn’t wreck my whole day. I even stopped for an iced coffee on the way home (probably not dentist-approved, but hey). Anyone else have a positive experience with sedation for dental stuff? Did you try something different, like oral meds or IV? I’m curious if anyone had side effects or felt weird after. Would love to hear if anyone else found a “magic bullet” that made the whole thing less traumatic.

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jnelson96

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I get where you're coming from, but I actually tried to do the “talk it through and take breaks” route with my last filling, and honestly, it just didn’t cut it for me. Even with a kind dentist, my anxiety sort of took over once the drill started. I wish I could power through without sedation, but for stuff like root canals, laughing gas is the only thing that keeps me from bolting out of the chair. Maybe it’s just how my brain is wired? Pain tolerance is one thing, but for me it’s more about the panic.

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Laughing gas saved my sanity during my root canal

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