Nitrous oxide safe for dental procedures in children with Sickle cell disease: Study

Sickle cell anaemia is one of a group of disorders known as sickle cell disease. Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited red blood cell disorder in which there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. Normally, the flexible, round red blood cells move easily through blood vessels.

Nitrous oxide (N2O), more commonly referred to as laughing gas, is a mild sedative agent that safely and effectively manages pain and anxiety during dental treatment. The colourless and odourless nitrous oxide is mixed with oxygen and inhaled through a small mask that fits over your nose. Patients are asked to breathe normally and should feel the effects of the laughing gas within minutes. Contrary to its name, laughing gas does not necessarily make you laugh. NitrousBrittaney Hill 1, Marcio A da Fonseca 2, Lewis L Hsu oxide slows down your nervous system to make you feel less inhibited. You may feel light-headed, tingly, or even heaviness in your arms or legs. Ultimately, you should be calm and comfortable throughout the procedure. You might even giggle a time or two.

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the safety of nitrous oxide (N₂O) during dental procedures in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).

Patients three to 15 years of age received N₂O with oxygen (N₂O:O₂) during their dental procedure in a university pediatric dental clinic between March 2019 and December 2020. Blood oxygen levels were monitored via pulse oximetry throughout the visit. Caregivers received a follow-up call to assess for postoperative complications.

The results of this study are:

Twenty-three patients were enrolled. The duration of N₂O sedation was 20 to 50 minutes. Oxygenation levels during (P<0.001) and after (P=0.004) the procedure were higher than for baseline. No adverse effects were reported in the three days after N₂O use.

Thus, the researchers concluded that following dental guidelines for sedation, treatment with up to a 50:50 mixture of nitrous oxide with oxygen increased blood oxygen levels and did not cause postoperative complications in children with sickle cell disease. This is the first formal study confirming the safety of nitrous oxide use in the dental care of SCD patients.

Reference:

Nitrous Oxide for Dental Procedures in Pediatric Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: A Pilot Study by Brittaney Hill et al. published in the Journal Pediatric dentistry.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34937620/