Interest of 50% nitrous oxide and oxygen premix sedation in gerodontology

Abstract

Elderly patients presenting cardiovascular, respiratory, or neurological disorders require a specific dental care approach, especially patients presenting Alzheimer’s disease. Sedative procedures can prevent dental care-induced stress, even when there is effective pain control, but they have to be adapted to accommodate age-induced physiological modifications, age-related pathologies, and the concomitant treatments. In many situations, routine sedative prescriptions for dental care, such as benzodiazepine or antihistaminics, are not recommended for these patients. Nitrous oxide inhalation together with a specific behavioral threshold is currently the only sedative procedure adapted to cognitively-impaired elderly patients. Nitrous oxide is able to curb stress and its cardiovascular consequences, improve oxygenation, and optimize cooperation during dental care, making not only rehabilitation treatments but also routine dental care a viable option.