Inhalation sedation for oral surgery

I recently read with keen interest the article ‘Using inhalation sedation for oral surgery’ in the January 2024 issue of Dental Update (Vol. 51, No. 1), authored by Charlotte Richards and Carole Boyle. The piece effectively highlighted the broad applicability of inhalation sedation, spanning various patient groups, including paediatric, adult, special needs, and those with medical complications. Despite its informative content, I noted certain aspects that possibly merit a more thorough exploration, particularly where the content may perpetuate a few misconceptions.

First, the editorial describes the sedation equipment as ‘bulky’, a term I find to be somewhat misleading. The average sedation flowmeter, for instance, is quite compact. Mounted on a four-cylinder stand, it adjusts between 40” and 53” in height with a base of just 20”. While earlier models, such as the McKesson Mc1 and Accutron Newport were larger, they are being phased out in favour of more space-efficient designs. A four-cylinder stand-mounted flowmeter typically fits comfortably within the confines of a standard dental surgery set up and is easily storable.