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http://dx.doi.org/10.17245/jdapm.2018.18.2.71

Complications caused by nitrous oxide in dental sedation  

Chi, Seong In (Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Dankook University Sejong Dental Hospital)
Publication Information
Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine / v.18, no.2, 2018 , pp. 71-78 More about this Journal
Abstract
The first clinical application of nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) was in 1844, by an American dentist named Horace Wells who used it to control pain during tooth extraction. Since then, $N_2O$ has shared a 170-year history with modern dental anesthesia. $N_2O$, an odorless and colorless gas, is very appealing as a sedative owing to its anxiolytic, analgesic, and amnestic properties, rapid onset and recovery, and, in particular, needle-free application. Numerous studies have reported that $N_2O$ can be used safely and effectively as a procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) agent. However, $N_2O$ can lead to the irreversible inactivation of vitamin B12, which is essential for humans; although rare, this can be fatal in some patients.
Keywords
Conscious Sedation; Nitrous Oxide; Vitamin $B_{12}$ Deficiency;
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