.
@GillyJ
I first had nitrous oxide at the dentist when I was 22 years old.
The assistant asked if I would like to breathe laughing gas.
"What's laughing gas?"
"You breathe the gas and it relaxes you so you hardly notice the dentist working."
"Absolutely. Bring it on."
A few minutes later, I opened my eyes. I felt like the ceiling was spinning and so was my stomach. I pointed at the nose mask and grunted something to the assistant.
"Maybe I should turn this down a little." And she did.
I still felt a buzz but not the swimming.
"Would you like headphones with some music?"
"Wow! Of course!"
After my first nitrous oxide experience, I learned to embrace the spinning feeling as being out of it so much that I didn't care what the dentist did inside my mouth. I learned to enjoy the feeling of being somewhat out of it, flying high as the dentist and his assistant worked away. When I felt myself becoming clear-headed, I felt sad that the ride was over. Now, I even have laughing gas when the hygienist cleans my teeth. Any excuse to have the nitrous.
Oh, and at my current dentist, the entire office knows to turn it up to the maximum allowable setting because that works for me.
.