Physiological Effects, Psychomotor Analysis, Cognition, and Recovery Pattern in Children Undergoing Primary Molar...

Nitrous oxide inhalation sedation (NOIS) has been in use as a tool for pharmacological behavior modification and relative analgesia (RA) for well over 170 years now since its discovery in 1844 by the American Dentist Horace Wells. Advantages include raising of the pain reaction threshold, alteration of both pain sensitivity and pain reaction, reduction of fatigue, and time awareness that helps to handle stress and lengthy appointments. In addition, the most important clinical consequences of Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) pharmacokinetics are rapid induction and recovery, reversibility, titrability, and adjustability. The goal of the current investigation was to analyze the safety aspects of nitrous oxide sedation. It was carried out on 25 patients within the age group 7-10 years requiring extractions of two primary molars in each patient. Split-mouth design was followed, with the first extraction done under traditional slow induction while the second extraction was done following the rapid induction technique of NOIS. N₂O was studied for its physiological effects, psychomotor analysis was done, cognition and recovery patterns were analyzed utilizing the two different induction techniques. Based on the results obtained, it was found that N₂O is a very safe and useful drug that delivers a comfortable patient for dental treatment.

Khinda V, Rao D, Sodhi SPS, et al. Physiological Effects, Psychomotor Analysis, Cognition, and Recovery Pattern in Children Undergoing Primary Molar Extractions under Nitrous Oxide Sedation Using Two Different Induction Techniques: A Split-mouth Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(S-2):S131-S137.