Nitrous oxide (see Relaxation Dentistry) sedation is a wonderful technique for helping anxious patients relax while receiving dental treatment. This sedation technique is very safe for children and adults and the patient has no after effects, so it is safe for them to drive or return to work after treatment. A mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen is administered to the patient through a mask that fits over the nose. The dosage of nitrous oxide is adjusted until the patient begins to feel a pleasant relaxed sensation. An added benefit of nitrous oxide sedation is that it raises the pain threshold, so many patients feel little, if any, discomfort with procedures many people fear, such as injections of local anesthetics in the mouth. After the dental treatment is completed, the patient breathes 100% oxygen for about five minutes. This purges all of the residual nitrous oxide out of their system and they will feel normal again. The patient can leave the office with no restrictions on activities.