EDA is not useful, however, for controlling very painful stimuli associated with invasive dental procedures. Nitrous oxide is a colorless, ordorless, inert gas, which is administered to dental patients to reduce anxiety. It produces a sense of well-being and relaxation. It is always administered with oxygen. Nitrous oxide, whose chemical formula is N 2 O, was first used in England, in 1800, by Sir Humphrey Davy to control the pain associated with a wisdom tooth.
Children stay fully conscious when the inhalation mixture is administered.
Nitrous oxide works by depressing activity in the part of the brain called the cerebrum - thus creating an altered state of awareness. It is eliminated from the body through normal breathing. The inhalation mixture is administered via a soft nosepiece and the mixture of gases is inhaled through the nose. The nosepiece is attached by small hoses to the regulator connected to the nitrous oxide and oxygen tanks. Inhalation sedation works best for mildly apprehensive children.