Nitrous oxide sedation - Nitrous oxide as a medical anesthetic

Nitrous oxide sedation for various medical treatments

What is nitrous oxide sedation?

Nitrous oxide sedation, also known as nitrous oxide anxiolysis, is an absolutely safe and trusted tool in which the patient is sedated and yet remains continuously conscious. Using a nose or full face mask, the patient is administered a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide, which has a calming and soothing effect. Because the patient remains conscious during the sedation, it is possible for the patient to respond to any instructions. In addition to the calming and soothing effect, nitrous oxide sedation is also used to reduce the gag reflex. Partly because of this, a medical, cosmetic or dental treatment can take place without stress.

How does nitrous oxide sedation work?

Before administering the nitrous oxide, you should first discuss everything surrounding the entire treatment with your patient. The patient's health and possibly the use of medication are discussed, as are the treatment to be performed and the expected effects of the nitrous oxide sedation. The practical procedure is also discussed so that there are no ambiguities for your patient.

With nitrous oxide sedation, a patient receives a nose or mouth mask a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide is administered. The amount of oxygen in this mixture is at least 50%. Subsequently, the percentage of nitrous oxide in this mixture can be slowly increased by the handler, until the optimum percentage of nitrous oxide in relation to oxygen (ie the optimum concentration of the mixture) is reached. The patient will feel much calmer and relaxed at this optimal level, but will remain conscious and. The sedation only works if the nose or mouth mask is worn during the entire treatment. The feeling that the patient experiences is also called the champagne feeling: the patient feels pleasant, warm, relaxed and a bit 'absent' because of the nitrous oxide. Tingling occurs in the hands, legs and lips. The patient's sense of time is also greatly reduced: long procedures feel like short procedures.

When do you use nitrous oxide sedation?

Nitrous oxide sedation has been used in dentistry since 1986. The use of nitrous oxide during dental treatment was officially approved at the time by the Ministry of Health in the Netherlands. In November 2016, a report was drawn up by the Superior Health Council in Belgium in which the use of nitrous oxide is regarded as useful. Nitrous oxide is used in healthcare for all kinds of different target groups and sectors: both in children and adults with a fear of dentistry, in people with an intellectual disability, in people with an extreme retching tendency, in people with injection (vaccination) fear, in people with a fear of certain cosmetic/plastic procedures and for comfort in many standard medical procedures and treatments. Simple treatments within cosmetic/plastic surgery that are considered relatively painful are also extremely suitable for nitrous oxide sedation in order to increase for patient and practitioner.

The advantages and disadvantages of nitrous oxide sedation

What are the advantages?

Nitrous oxide sedation offers many advantages, for both the patient and the practitioner. A big advantage is that it can be set up and worked out within a few minutes. This allows the patient to participate in traffic again after treatment. Nitrous oxide is a safe medical gas that can be administered without any risks in combination with the right percentage of oxygen and the right equipment. The amount of nitrous oxide that is inhaled can be accurately adjusted to the needs of the patient. Another advantage of nitrous oxide sedation is that it can be used to prevent and reduce unnecessary pain and anxiety during a medical procedure. Previously mentioned advantages such as the soothing (champagne) feeling, the loss of the sense of time and the continuous retention of consciousness during the treatment are very important for both the patient and the practitioner.

What are the disadvantages?

There are a number of contraindications for performing nitrous oxide anxiolysis.

Not everyone is suitable to be treated with nitrous oxide, for example pregnant women or children who are too young to communicate clearly. Practitioners learn these contraindications during the certified nitrous oxide sedation / nitrous oxide anxiolysis course in order to guarantee the safety of the patients. The full list of contraindications is here can be read back in the guidelines database.

Are there any side effects?

The administration of nitrous oxide is a safe and child-friendly procedure. The mixture of nitrous oxide with oxygen provides a safe intoxication so that the patient loses his worries about the treatment. It is possible that the patient experiences euphoria or a burst of laughter, but you as the practitioner try to prevent this. Laughing too much during sedation is a sign of oversedation and also causes leakage in the room. Tingling may be observed in the mouth or extremities during treatment.

Some patients may experience minor side effects such as dizziness, lightheadedness and nausea. These side effects disappear a few minutes after adjusting the opinion of the oxygen/nitrous oxide mixture. After the treatment, all nitrous oxide particles are flushed from the patient's blood to bring the patient back to full consciousness. There are no noticeable side effects afterwards.

Target group

For whom is nitrous oxide sedation suitable?

Nitrous oxide sedation can in principle be applied to any patient. Below are a number of specific cases where nitrous oxide sedation can be applied well:

• Children who are anxious and/or tense about dental or other medical treatment;

• Children who find it difficult to sit still and who are restless during dental or other medical treatment;

• People with fear of dental or other medical treatments;

• People with increased vomiting and gag reflexes;

• People for whom stress should be avoided;

• People with a mental and/or physical disability;

• People for whom regular anesthesia is not appropriate;

• People who like to opt for a luxurious treatment with extra comfort.

Nitrous oxide sedation at the dentist

How does it work at the dentist?

Within the dentistry only a Double Nasal Mask System to ensure the safety of both dentist and patient. By separating the supply and discharge at the mask, both wastage and leakage are greatly reduced. The latex-free mask fits comfortably and can be left in place during the entire treatment to prevent leakage.

The extraction of the gases is at the dentist often arranged via the dental suctions in the treatment room. Grodenta also offers the option to supply a built-in suction pump on the nitrous oxide device. This suction pump can be connected directly to the ventilation shaft in the room.

What products does Grodenta have for dentists?

All masks come in different sizes. The double nose mask is available in child or adult size. These measurements are also valid for the breathing balloon. Grodenta offers the option to scent the mask by means of the anaesthesia scent-sticks, in order to make the treatment even more pleasant. A pulse oximeter is used at all times to monitor the patient during a treatment. In the webshop there are several variants available.

The complete nitrous oxide sedation package for the dentist can be found under GroFlow Dentistry.
For the rest of the equipment and accessories requirements, please refer to our webshop.

Nitrous oxide sedation in cosmetic treatments

How does it work with cosmetic treatments?

Another specialization of Grodenta is nitrous oxide sedation for cosmetic/plastic surgical procedures. Laser hair removal, botox, fillers, liposuction, Ultherapy and many other treatments relatively often cause minor or irritating pain, which can make for a less pleasant experience. This also applies to radical treatments where only local anaesthetic is used. The use of nitrous oxide sedation increases the comfort of the patient. In order to meet the wishes and needs of your practice, the set-up of our equipment is completely tailored to your practice.

Which products does Grodenta have for cosmetic treatments?

For cosmetic treatments, we work with different delivery systems; a transparent light adhesive mask for the nose and a full face mask for long, invasive treatments. The tubing circuit system used for cosmetic treatments is different from the tubing circuits for the dental industry. For cosmetic treatments, the medical full face system is used.

The complete nitrous oxide sedation package for the cosmetic industry can be found under GroFlow Cosmetic.

For other equipment requirements you can find our webshop visit.

Nitrous oxide sedation in medical treatments

How does nitrous oxide sedation work in medical treatments?

Through years of experience and expertise, Grodenta has developed the best applications for medical nitrous oxide sedation. As a result, the A&E, CBT, pediatric wards and Radiology, among others, are already equipped with a custom-developed set-up.

The focus within these departments is on anxiety and stress reduction so that both adults and children have a better experience during their stay or treatment. The equipment works entirely on gas pressure and can therefore be applied within a few seconds, making Grodenta's equipment a reliable and effective tool for many doctors.

The most common application within the medical industry is the full face mask. With the built-in one-way valves and filters, the administration and extraction of the gas is completely separated from each other. This increases hygiene and ensures that leakage and waste are greatly reduced.

What products does Grodenta have for medical treatments?

For medical treatments, we have the medical full face system as a delivery circuit. Full-face masks are used within the medical industry. In addition, Grodenta also has a defibrillator in its range. It is mandatory to have when using nitrous oxide sedation.

The complete nitrous oxide sedation package for the medical industry can be found under GroFlow Medical.

For other equipment supplies, please visit our webshop visit.

Costs and insurance

Is something covered by the insurance?

In The Netherlands the costs for administering nitrous oxide can be submitted to the health insurer under the codes B10- B11- B12. In most cases this is reimbursed from the basic insurance. The practitioner submits an authorization to the health insurer for reimbursement of the costs incurred. For example, if there is anxiety and the patient has a referral from the GP, this can facilitate the authorization process. However, the policy for the reimbursement of nitrous oxide sedation differs per health insurer. This policy can be found on the website of the relevant health insurers.