Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Sedation among General Dental Practitioners in Kollam District, Kerala: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background: Fear, anxiety, and pain have long been associated with the practice of dentistry for a very long time. Clinicians should, therefore, need to be familiar with a wide range of behavior management techniques. Conscious sedation has been considered a reliable and efficacious approach to managing anxiety in dental patients for a long time. Although conscious sedation is widely used globally, its adoption in India remains limited. Identifying barriers to its use is important, as there is a notable knowledge gap among Indian dental professionals regarding conscious sedation. Therefore, this survey was conducted aiming to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of dentists on the use of nitrous oxide inhalation sedation (NOIS) in day-to-day dental practice in Kollam district, Kerala.Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with 105 dental practitioners. The 16-item questionnaire included questions on knowledge, attitude, and practice of nitrous oxide inhalation sedation, along with demographic data. Hard copies were distributed, and responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: An overwhelming 94% of participants reported being familiar with the use of nitrous oxide in their dental clinics. Only 29.5% of dental practitioners were actively implementing NOIS. Regardless of their qualifications or years of experience, 34.1% referred patients to a specialist in NOIS-kind intervention.Conclusion: This study reveals that dentists in Kollam district, Kerala, have developed a favourable attitude towards the use of NOIS in pediatric dentistry. Nevertheless, they expressed a significant need for further training and education on the subject to enhance their confidence and proficiency.