Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
Nitrous oxide–oxygen (N
2
O–O
2
) inhalation is widely utilized for anxiolysis in dentistry; however, its clinical efficacy and physiological impact during routine supragingival scaling remain insufficiently assessed.
Methods
This prospective observational cohort study enrolled 100 adult patients. Participants were allocated to either the N
2
O–O
2
sedation group (
n
= 50) or a non‐sedated control group (
n
= 50) based on treatment preference. Vital signs, including heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), were monitored at baseline (T
0
), intraoperatively (T
1
), and postoperatively (T
2
). Pain intensity was assessed immediately after supragingival ultrasonic scaling using a 0–10 Visual Analogue Scale.
Results
All 100 participants successfully completed the study. Intra‐group analysis revealed that the sedation group experienced a significant reduction in HR during scaling (T
1
) compared to baseline (T
0
,
p
= 0.0004), whereas the control group remained physiologically stable with no significant HR fluctuations (
p
> 0.05). SBP and DBP showed no significant intra‐group or inter‐group variations across all time points (
p
> 0.05). Pain intensity was significantly lower in the sedation group compared with the control group (
p
Conclusions
N
2
O–O
2
inhalation sedation significantly attenuates procedural pain and stabilizes heart rate during supragingival ultrasonic scaling without compromising hemodynamic safety. These findings suggest N
2
O–O
2
sedation is a safe and feasible adjunct for routine periodontal prophylaxis.