So a new anesthetic was needed that was not so dangerous to use. The story does not end happily, however. In January 1845, Dr. Wells demonstrated his discovery of the effects of nitrous oxide at the Harvard Medical School in Boston. A patient was anesthetised and a tooth was extracted, but during the demonstration the patient complained that he felt some discomfort. This public humiliation eventually led to Dr. Wells losing his reputation as a profession dentist, and finally to his suicide three years later.
Nitrous oxide is a very safe and popular agent still utilized by dentists today.
It is much less toxic than alternatives, such as chloroform, with far less risk of explosion than ether. The main use for N 2 O is usually as a mild sedative and analgesic. It helps to allay anxiety that many patients may have toward dental treatment, and it offers some degree of painkilling ability. At room temperature, N 2 O is quite unreactive with most substances, including alkali metals, halogens, and even ozone. It is therefore widely used as a propellant in aerosol cans in place of the CFCs which can damage the ozone layer.