Nervous Patients
It is normal to feel anxious or nervous about dental treatment. It may be from concern about the unknown, needle phobias, the pain you have been trying to manage from a severe toothache requiring an emergency appointment or a past experience
Team At Kinsale Dental
Our caring team at Kinsale Dental understand this and know that each patient’s experience is unique. Rest assured that dental treatment has evolved over time to be patient focused and our highly skilled team remain up to date in the most gentle and efficient techniques to deliver your care.
Relaxed & Calm Atmosphere
Upon your arrival you are welcomed into a relaxed and calm atmosphere. Let your mind wonder to the inviting jazz music in the spacious pre-treatment area on the second floor. We have longer allocated appointment times to ensure your waiting time for your appointment is minimal. Our reception team on ground floor will greet you on arrival to ensure you feel welcomed and have all the information you require.
Our clinicians ensure you are comfortable in surgery and can progress your treatment at a pace you are comfortable with. All treatment questions are valued and encouraged. Simple adaptions to your appointments are welcomed such as patients bringing their favourite music and head phones to their appointment.
Inhalation Gas
Also known as laughing or RA gas. Dr Maeve Murphy is qualified in administering inhalation sedation to ensure children and adults feel more relaxed during their dental treatment. It is ideal for patients who have needle phobias as the gas is administered before the local anaesthetic. The patient breaths normally through a soft nose piece, the nitrous oxide mixed with oxygen has no colour, smell and does not irritate the patient in anyway.
Get startedAfter a few minutes of normal breathing a pleasurable, warm sense of well-being and euphoric feeling is felt by the patient to ensure you are relaxed. Some patients may feel mildly light headed and often get the giggles, this is where the name laughing gas comes from.
Advantages of Inhalation Gas
- Your dentist will gradually introduce more oxygen when your treatment is complete and eliminate the nitrous gas. The effects are no longer active at this time. This allows you to drive to and from your appointment.
- Nitrous oxide works very rapidly – it reaches the brain within 20 seconds, and relaxation and pain-killing properties develop after 2 or 3 minutes.
- The depth of sedation can be altered from moment to moment, allowing your dentist to increase or decrease the depth of sedation.
- Other sedation techniques have a fixed duration of action (because the effects of tablet medication last for a specific time span), whereas gas can be given for the exact time span it’s needed for.
- No injection is required. In cases of very severe needle phobia, inhalation gas can relax the patient before local anaesthetic for dental treatment is administered.
- Inhalation sedation is very safe. It has very few side effects with no ill effects on the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain.
- Inhalation sedation has also been found to be very effective in eliminating or at least minimizing severe gagging.

Inhalation gas is not recommended for pregnant women or patients with conditions such as emphysema, M.S or rare chest conditions.
This sedation type requires you to breathe through your nose. It is not recommended if you are congested due to a head cold. Inhalation gas is a treatment option for other health concerns such as epilepsy, liver disease, heart disease, diabetes, or cerebrovascular disease. It is also used quite successfully in many people with respiratory disease – but it depends on the exact nature of the disease, so check with your dentist first.
All sedation options are discussed during your consultation and predetermined before your treatment. Sedation is never prescribed the same day as treatment planning and requires professional, experienced and qualified prescription by your treating dentist. Please ensure you can provide an up to date medical history at this appointment.
Oral Sedation
Oral sedation is a mild to moderate sedative prescribed in a tablet form. It is taken before your appointment as prescribed by your treating dentist. You are awake for your treatment and conscious.