Dentistry evolves as innovative treatments and methods are introduced. Nitrous oxide has been used to relieve discomfort and minimize dental fear since the 1840s, and sedation techniques have changed the way many people feel about their dental visits. Although these procedures have improved throughout history, making them safer and more effective than ever before, about 30 percent of Americans today still avoid visiting the dentist due to anxiety. Let’s take a look at the history of dental sedation and how Dr. Truong can use this treatment to calm your nerves.
Beginning of Sedation Dentistry
In 1845, Horace Wells introduced the use of nitrous oxide as an anesthetic agent, but audiences were unimpressed by his demonstration. Instead, most of the credit for sedation dentistry goes to a Massachusetts dentist named William Morton. Dr. Morton wanted a powerful agent to help avoid dental discomfort. In 1846, after experimenting with ether, Dr. Morton treated Eben Frost for a terrible toothache. Dr. Morton used ether to successfully sedate Frost while he extracted the tooth. After Morton’s public demonstration, the use of general anesthetics became widely accepted.
President Abraham Lincoln would later attest to the pain-alleviating qualities of anesthesia. During one visit, his dentist broke part of his jaw during an extraction without anesthesia. President Lincoln developed dental anxiety as a result of the incident. In 1862, before having a tooth extracted due to severe pain, Lincoln inhaled a container of ether to calm his uneasiness. (more…)
