What is happy air?
Happy air is special air that you breathe to make fixing your teeth easier and make you feel happy.
What will happen at my appointment?
- Before you come to the dental hospital you will have had your breakfast or lunch. Don’t eat too much.
- You will bring a grown up with you when you come to see the dentist.
- You will sit in the dentist’s chair. The dentist and the dental nurse will put a soft mask on your nose. The dentist will lay the chair flat so that the mask doesn’t fall off your nose.
Here is a picture of how the mask looks on your nose.
- You can still talk to the dentist and your grown up when you have the mask on your nose.
- You will practice breathing fresh air through your nose at first. Then the dentist will give you some happy air. It doesn’t smell of anything.
- The happy air makes you feel nice. It might make you feel warm and floaty. You might get a tingly feeling in your fingers and toes.
What happens after I have the happy air?
- Your dentist will give you some fresh air to breathe through your nose and your warm, floaty feelings will go away. When you feel normal again you will be able to go home and play quietly for the rest of the day.
What if I have any questions?
If you have any questions about happy air please ask your dentist or dental nurse.
For further information
Contact details – Child dental health department, Newcastle Dental Hospital, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AZ.
- Tel: 0191 282 5110 (8.30am-5.00pm)
- Fax: 0191 282 5106
PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) for help, advice and information about NHS services. You can find out more on our PALS webpage.
Useful websites
If you would like further information about health conditions and treatment options, you may wish to have a look at NHS Choices.
Visit for accessibility information for our hospitals.
Information produced by Child Dental Health Department.
