A hand-held nitrous oxide device which has recently been advertised to dentists for use in their practices, has been voluntarily suspended from sale pending further advice from the relevant regulator.
The suspension follows patient and community concerns expressed to the Dental Board of Australia which highlighted the lack of important safety features and an increased risk of inducing hypoxia in patients while it is in use.
In addition, the stated patient selection criteria were not appropriately delineated.
Following the raising of these concerns, the Board held discussions with the Australian Dental Association regarding the safety of the device and sought further advice and guidance from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
As with any newly-introduced treatment component, the Board is reminding dental practitioners to act professionally and exercise clinical judgement when introducing new devices and procedures into their practice.
