Parental acceptance of Nitrous Oxide sedation in children aged 6 to 12 years old
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Date
2025
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University of the Western Cape
Abstract
Background: Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a sedative gas used to relieve anxiety and tension in anxious patients. N₂O enables patients to remain conscious and responsive to verbal commands throughout the treatment, placing them in a state of relaxation and allowing them to receive treatment without undue anxiety or stress. In general, parental preferences play a significant role in guiding treatment plans in Paediatric Dentistry. Mutual agreement and acceptance of treatment options are most effective when parents are actively involved in treatment planning, which aims to reduce parents’ anxiety and increase their awareness of treatment modalities available for their child. This research aimed to investigate parental acceptance of the use of nitrous oxide sedation for dental treatment in children aged 6 to 12 years old. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, containing both closed and open-ended questions. A sample size of 168 participants was included in the study. The study population consisted of biological parents, legal guardians, foster parents, and caregivers of paediatric patients at Tygerberg and Mitchell’s Plain Oral Health Centres. The self-administered questionnaire was completed by the parents in the respective Paediatric Dentistry Departments. The completed questionnaires were captured and formatted in RedCap. For quantitative data, simple and adjusted logistic regressions were used to determine relationships between parental acceptance and various demographic variables. STATA 18 was used as the statistical analysis software, and statistical significance was determined at p<0.05. Thematic analysis was applied to specifically open-ended questions, whereby identified verbal codes were collated into themes, supported by representative participant quotes.
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Keywords
Behaviour management, Conscious sedation, Nitrous oxide, Parental acceptance, Parental knowledge