Inhalation Sedation for Kids Dental Treatments

Dental visits and treatment can sometimes feel overwhelming for children which is why we offer inhalation sedation. Inhalation sedation is a gentle and effective way to reduce anxiety and make dental treatments a more positive experience. Administered by our highly skilled dental team, this safe sedation option is designed to help children relax while remaining awake and responsive throughout their procedure. We are proud to offer both NHS and private sedation for children across Glasgow and Scotland.

What is Inhalation Sedation?

Inhalation sedation, often called “laughing gas” or “funny air,” is a blend of nitrous oxide and oxygen.

It helps children feel calm and at ease during dental treatments without putting them to sleep.

The sedative is administered through a small, comfortable hood placed over the nose, and its effects wear off quickly after the procedure.

How Does Inhalation Sedation Work?

Before the Appointment

You’ll attend an initial consultation where we assess your child’s suitability for sedation and confirm a treatment plan. This is on a separate day from treatment itself.

During the Appointment

The option of a scented or unscented mask delivers a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen.

Within minutes, your child will feel relaxed and possibly experience sensations like tingling, warmth, or floating.

They remain awake, able to talk and respond throughout the procedure.

After the Appointment

Recovery is quick—your child will breathe pure oxygen for a few minutes to eliminate the sedation effects.

They can return to regular activities soon after, though we recommend avoiding active sports for two hours.

Benefits of Inhalation Sedation

  • Reduces Anxiety: Helps children feel more comfortable, especially during lengthy or complex procedures.
  • Minimises Discomfort: Provides a gentle way to reduce pain sensitivity.
  • Quick Recovery: Effects fade within minutes after the mask is removed.
  • Safe for Kids: Widely recognized as a safe and effective sedation method when administered by trained professionals.

How Much Does Dental Inhalation Sedation Cost?

We are pleased to provide inhalation sedation at no cost under the NHS. However, due to the high volume of referrals from across Scotland, there is a waitlist for NHS appointments.

For private referrals and Kids Club members, appointments are available within four weeks, including convenient Saturday slots.

Inhalation Sedation FAQs

What age is this treatment suitable for?


How quickly does inhalation sedation work?


Does my child need to fast before sedation?


How long does the procedure take?


Will nitrous oxide make my child laugh?


Is inhalation sedation safe?


What happens after the procedure?


Are there alternatives to nitrous oxide?

Highly Rated with Excellent Customer Feedback

We are proud to have earned a growing number of 5-star reviews on Google, reflecting the care and expertise of our paediatric dental team in Glasgow.

Excellent
Kids Dental Care
Based on 109 reviews
Highly recommend. After being on the NHS waiting list for months we decided to go private for my little boys teeth removal. First consultation with John was amazing, he is great with kids and spoke directly to our son and explained everything that was going to happen and made everything fun, everything went very smoothly during the actual procedure and was all very calm, and John even had him laughing. Best dentist we have ever been to.
Fabulous practice and dentists. Reassuring and my daughter loved her cool glasses! Thank you
I honestly can’t thank John and his team enough for the care you gave to my daughter. She was completely relaxed throughout her appointments. John explained everything clearly. I recommend John to anyone that has a child or teen who has a phobia of the dentist. He is amazing with the kids. Thanks again.
Dexter had to get a tooth out and 3 caps, it was a very positive experience for him, he was totally chilled and that was thanks to John and the way he works :) i was thinking the whole time how glad i was that this would be Dexter’s first experience of treatment :) thank you!
My daughter had a tooth removed and a filling. Her dentist John was amazing. He kept her calm made her laugh and eased all her nerves. He explained and demonstrated everything he was going to do making sure she was comfortable before proceeding. John definitely has an amazing rapport with children. I would highly recommend
My daughter has autism and get nervous about the dentist. My local dentist referred us to John and he was amazing with her. After her first appointment she couldn't wait to get back he was patient and explained everything to her and she loved watching netflix while getting her teeth checked.. can't thank him enough she has less fear now about the dentist. Thank you John 😊
We took our extremely anxious 6 year old to see John for emergency care. From the very start he was brilliant with her, very gentle and reassuring, and he made her visit fun. She responded really well to him, despite a bad experience at another dentist that had left her very fearful. Would highly recommend John and we won't go anywhere else now!
Had a wonderful experience here with my son, what could have been a really traumatic experience for him turned out to be really positive. His dentist John was amazing with him, took time and care to fully explain what was going to happen and really put him at ease. I can’t recommend this place enough, thank you so much!
After several unsuccessful attempts to have my neurodiverse daughter’s teeth extracted through the usual NHS pathway, we were beginning to lose hope that the procedure could ever be done without causing her distress. From the moment we arrived at Hannigan, John completely changed that.
He took the time to explain every step clearly, calmly, and patiently—not just to me, but directly to my daughter in a way she could understand and feel comfortable with. His manner was incredibly reassuring: relaxed, unhurried, and genuinely compassionate. For the first time, she felt safe enough to engage, ask questions, and stay in control.
What stood out most was John’s ability to adapt to her needs without making her feel different or difficult. He created an environment where she could relax, and because of that, the extraction was completed smoothly—something we hadn’t thought possible after previous attempts elsewhere.
I’m deeply grateful for the care, professionalism, and understanding shown throughout the entire appointment. For any parent of a neurodiverse child who has struggled with dental treatment, I cannot recommend John and the team at Hannigan highly enough. They made what had felt like an impossible situation entirely manageable.
My teenage daughter is extremely needle phobic and needed adult teeth pulled for braces prep… after struggling with anxiety when our regular dentist removed one we were referred here!! Omg! What a difference, no needles, very calm and friendly, explaining every step before it happened in an age appropriate manner. Fantastic! The referral times are huge because of this but seeing your child calm and relaxed after seeing the alternative was a way better experience for both of us!
My wee girl had to have a tooth out recently and I cannot rate John and his team any hight. From start to finish he put myself and my daughter at ease, explaining every step of the process. My wee one had to have the 'happy gas' and was able to pick the smell of the gas, also was able to pick what she wanted to watch on the iPad and which funky glasses that she wanted. The process went smoothly from beginning to end and at the end she picked a toy from the toy chest. Thank you John and the team for making this experience as pain free as possible. Highly recommend!
Our daughter was referred to John as she had problems with her enamel on her molars (MIH)and a terrible fear of the dentist! John was absolutely amazing with her from the first meeting and all during her treatment. John provided us with all the information we needed to make a decision on treatment and answered all our questions along the way. The way he was with her was truly amazing putting her at ease and us.I would highly recommend John to anyone with children as i genuinely wish I’d had a dentist like him as a child.