Laughing Gas
"Are you okay with me puncturing the heck out of your gums with this huge needle?" the dentist asked as I lay helplessly in the blue torture chair. Okay, well it was something similar to that. "Um...I hate needles. I hate pain. Honestly, I want to jump out of this chair and run home right now."
"How do you feel about laughing gas?" he asked.
"I love laughing gas. Apparently I was really funny last time I had laughing gas. I made a dental hygienist crack up," I responded.
A little mask was shoved over my nose and suddenly, entrance into hell...er...I mean, the dentist office wasn't so bad. Within 5 seconds, I began to fly. Within 30 seconds, I began to think they were giving me a little too much laughing gas. I consciously had a huge grin on my face and felt like I had something to hide. A few minutes passed and a dental hygienist came in to check on me.
"How you feelin'?" she asked.
I don't remember my response, but I do remember seeing my right arm flinging around in the air above my body. She turned the laughing gas down.
A few more minutes passed. I began to feel like I was going super fast up a roller coaster. I never came down-I just kept going up and up and up.
The dentist came in and gave me 3 shots in my tender gums. I felt pain, but I really didn't care at that point. I thought to myself "that hurts, but hey, it's alright. No big deal..." He worked on my mouth while I continued to inhale the laughing gas. Sounds began to annoy me. Every time someone said something, the first syllable that they said echoed in my head for at least 5 seconds. The music was killing me! I think a Rod Stewart song was on. The noises were echoing like crazy.
I closed my eyes and began to get sleepy. Very sleepy. So, I thought "Nikki, you better breathe through your mouth." I tried to breathe through my mouth, but I couldn't concentrate enough. The lady working on my mouth kept saying "Open your mouth. Open up. Stay open. Open wide." I was really trying! I couldn't keep my mouth open.
They finished their work and gave me oxygen to breathe for like...2 minutes. They told me I was done, but as I attempted to get out of the chair, the room began spinning. I reached down to get my purse and found myself leaning on the wall for total support.
You know what was funny? I looked in a mirror and there was a HUGE, DEEP circle around my nose. I guess I was sucking the laughing gas in with all my might.
posted by Nikki Leigh Daniel @ 11/01/2005 10:40:00 PM
11 comments
11 Comments:
Whoa, that totally makes me want to go to the dentist...but I had my checkup for this decade a couple years ago. Anyway, I hope you don't get the feeling that you get after riding rollercoasters all day when you go to bed tonight. That would be quite disappointing, seeing as you really didn't get to ride any rollercoasters.
This post reminds me of a funny childhood story:
When I was a kid, I remember my Mom took me to the local dentist to get some cavities drilled and filled (mmm...good times). Well, somehow the dentist failed to inform my mother that he would be administering this medicinal to me to knock the edge off. So I get my teeth fixed (I can barely remember a thing...), and - afterwards - I come WOBBLING (literally) out of the office. Like you, I was a little giddy (I remember laughing hysterically at the wallpaper in the hallway), and slumped down at my Mom's feet like an inebriated seven-year-old who just ran the Boston Marathon in record time. I just sat there...giggling.
Yeah...Mom was NOT a happy camper. We never went back...and I haven't had laughing gas since.
Shocker.
:)
It's got to make you wonder if the dentists get a certain kick out of it when their patients are hamming it up and they don't even know it.
"Honey, you will never believe what this patient did at the office today...
Lucky for me, my father in law is a dentist and my husband is in dental school. And please note...I hate going to the dentist.
I bet they do think it's funny to see patients on laughing gas. I know my husband wishes he could have given a kid laughing gas the other day. The kid told my husband he wasn't a very good dentist. I think it was more the kid not being very good as a patient...or at least I hope so!
Last time I got laughing gas, I got really sick on the way home...it was the high and then the hangover in one hour..so I haven't had it since...ick.
I'm kinda disappointed that I haven't needed to have my wisdom teeth removed. Laughing gas was fun, but I don't remember anything about what happened during the procedure. From about ten seconds after they gave me the gas, I remember nothing until I was sitting in a chair in another room! And while stumbling around trying to walk, I uttered, "Yeah, I can walkst to da carrrr. Lessgo!"
At least you had gas...this summer I was in Brazil and I pulled teeth in the river villages on the Amazon. I'm talking about giving a basic pain shot, digging the tooth from the gums and wiggling back and forth and finally out with a a pair of forceps. You should have seen the look on these people's poor faces. I mean, I am 19 and had NO experience whatsoever.
Nice blog here. I'll be reading!
Laughing gas never worked on me, even as as a kid. I have always suffered the dreaded "waltz of the needle," where the dentist inserts a HUGE needle in your gums and then just dances it around all around your mouth so that you think you will be sick from the pain... ahhh, fond memories.
Anesthesea has always had a weird effect on me - when I had surgery on my wrist a couple of years ago, they give it to me in a waiting room and then wheeled me on a bed to the operating room. I was told later that I waved at everyone I passed between the waiting room and the OR and wishing them farewell, like I was on a float in a parade. I guess my Homecoming days are still wandering in my subconscious. :)
ps-what do you plan to do with your degree from seminary? I really want to go cause I love theology, but I'm not sure what I'd do afterwards...
Psst...I have a new post on my blog after a two-month absence. Just thought you'd all want to know. :)
Nikki, I completely understand where you're coming from. Laughing gas can cause such a dizzying experience.
Last month, I took my wife to have her wisdom tooth extracted. It causes her mouth to bleed so she wanted to have that removed. Unfortunately, she is not that tolerant to pain. The doctor administered 'laughing gas' to help her calm down during the entire process. Fortunately everything went well with her.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
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