NITROUS OXIDE
A natural way to help kids and adults relax and live the dentist’s experience without fear.
Nitrous oxide sedation is one of the best and safest methods to treat young patients, but also adults.
The administration takes place by air thanks to a small scented mask positioned on the nose. The mask delivers a natural and non-harmful blend of oxygen and nitrous oxide.
Nitrous oxide told by our pedodontist
Are there risks? How does it take place?
The dentist prepares the oxygen-nitrous oxide blend delivery through modern appliances, specifically calibrated, which allow him to work in absolute safety. The gas used is not being metabolized by our body and, once inhaled, is eliminated naturally through exhalation. Just think that, once the blend has been inhaled, it is sufficient to administer pure oxygen for 2 minutes to cancel all effects.
We are always in safe conditions: if we consider that the oxygen concentration naturally present in the air is around 20%, the patient is actually always hyperoxygenated because during treatment we administer a blend that never goes below a proportion of 30% oxygen and 70% nitrous oxide.
With kids: the administration always occurs through a game and with a proportion of 50% nitrous oxide and 50% oxygen. In just 1 minute and with a few breaths, the kid can reach a relaxation status which allows him to also increase the pain threshold and decrease the vomit and swallow reflex.
With adults: the administration mode is established through a session dedicated to the definition of the right proportion between nitrous oxide and oxygen (called “base line”), which is specific for every single patient. During the session, the dentist proceeds in administering an increasing amount of nitrous oxide until the wished status and feelings are reached.
Are there side effects when using nitrous oxide?
There aren’t any absolute side effects because nitrous oxide is a a hypoallergenic gas which does not remain in the body and does not report any side effects with other medication.
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Pregnant women in the first and last trimester, to avoid making them take medication. However, if dental treatments cannot be postponed, conscious sedation with nitrious oxide mixed with oxygen guarantees the greatest harmlessness compared to other sedation methods
- claustrophobics who easily tolerate the nasal mask
- people with neurological disorders (including epilepsy)
- people taking antidepressants as they raise their mood and, if associated with nitrous oxide, could induce an alteration of the state of consciousness
- chronic pulmonary patients with obstructive pathologies
- patients unable to breath nasally due to physical malformations or acute inflammatory processes
- if for example the patient has a strong cold, sinusitis or chronic bronchitis, he will have serious difficulties in breathing just with the nose and this will obstruct nitrous oxide inhalation and the effectiveness of sedation
- drug addicts
- patients who have undergone a surgical reconstruction of the tympanum because nitrous oxide spreads in closed cavities increasing their pressure, with the risk of causing a perforation in the membrane.
