Nitrous oxide analgesia workshop as an aid in the teaching of first year respiratory physiology

For the past four years, the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Florida College of Dentistry has participated in a respiratory physiology workshop, using nitrous oxide analgesia as a teaching aid. By using clinical faculty to teach an area both clinically relevant and with a strong basic science correlation, feelings of alienation from the clinical environment and the feeling that the basic medical sciences lack application in clinical practice can be addressed in a positive constructive manner.For the past four years, the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Florida, College of Dentistry has participated in a respiratory physiology workshop, using nitrous oxide analgesia as a teaching aid. The main thrust of the workshop is the teaching of respiratory physiology. The advantages of using nitrous oxide analgesia is that in addition to learning about anesthesia, the students can participate in and actually feel the effects of gas exchange and get a more dynamic view of respiratory functions. In addition, by using clinical faculty to teach first year dental students an area both clinically relevant and with a strong basic science correlation, we expect students to relate to the basic sciences as an intergral part of their dental education.