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Monitoring the Administration of Nitrous Oxide for Dental Hygienists and Dental Assistants

Course overview

Texas State Board of Dental Examiners offers an optional Nitrous Oxide Monitoring Certificate for Dental Hygienists and Dental Assistants. This course will cover: History and Safety, Patient Monitoring, Effects of N2O, etc. This program is intended to provide sufficient information to dental hygienists and dental assistants to gain knowledge and to understand their responsibility of monitoring the patients when they assist their dentist during the administration of nitrous oxide.

This course was approved by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners to certify dental hygienists and dental assistants. If you wish to be certified to monitor Nitrous Oxide in another state, contact your State Board for a list of approved providers.

Participation in the didactic portion of the course requires that you:

  • Register online with our secured server.
  • Pay a registration fee of US $120.00
  • Complete all reading assignments and submit quiz answers via Internet at the completion of each chapter.
  • Each quiz will be graded and you will see your scores instantaneously.
  • You will have 30 days to complete the course.
  • Once you begin the course, you will have the ability to Log Out and Log In while reading the material.  The quizzes/tests are timed.

  • Table of Contents

    1. Introduction
      Bibliography
    2. Biobehavior Aspects of Anxiety
      Bibliography
      Quiz I
    3. History and Safety
      Bibliography
      Quiz II
    4. Purpose, Objectives, Advantages, and Disadvantages of Nitrous Oxide
      Bibliography
      Quiz III
    5. Technique for Administering Nitrous Oxide Conscious Sedation
      Bibliography
      Quiz IV
    6. Equipment
      Bibliography
      Quiz V
    7. Physiology and Pharmacology of Nitrous Oxide
      Bibliography
      Quiz VI
    8. The Effects of Nitrous Oxide Concentration
      Bibliography
      Quiz VII
    9. Planes of Analgesia Related to Stages
      Bibliography
      Quiz VIII
    10. Patient Monitoring
      Bibliography
      Quiz IX
    11. Indications and Contraindications for the Use of Nitrous Oxide
      Bibliography
      Quiz X
    12. Complications that May Be Encountered With Nitrous Oxide Conscious Sedation
      Bibliography
      Quiz XI
    13. Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen Sedation in Pediatric Dentistry
      Bibliography
      Quiz XII
    14. Health Hazards and Protection from Exposure to Nitrous Oxide
      Bibliography
      Quiz XIII
    15. Nitrous Oxide and the Medically Compromised Patient
      Bibliography
      Quiz XIV
    16. The Abuse and Social Use of Nitrous Oxide
      Bibliography
      Quiz XV
    17. Hypnosis and Nitrous Oxide Conscious Sedation
      Bibliography
      Quiz XVI


    Presenter(s)

    • Ernest E. Valdez, D.D.S.
      • DR. ERNEST VALDEZ is a native of San Antonio, Texas. He earned his Bachelors of Science in Biology from St. Mary’s University and his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the prestigious University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA).

        Upon completion of dental school in 1993, Dr. Valdez entered community health as a staff dentist at Las Clinical Del Norte, a community health center in rural North Central New Mexico, where he also was active as a volunteer firefighter and first-responder for the community of Ojo Caliente. Dr. Valdez eventually moved to Harlingen, Texas in the Lower Rio Grande Valley to serve as the dental director of a community health center, Su Clinica Familiar.

        In 1999, Dr. Valdez returned to the UTHSCSA completing a two-year General Practice Residency with intensive training in hospital-based dentistry, oral surgical techniques, implant dentistry, advanced dental techniques, and intravenous sedation. In 2001, Dr. Valdez entered private practice as an associate dentist in a dental practice in north San Antonio before being invited to apply for a faculty position at the UTHSCSA as a general dentist in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS). He held a full-time position as an Assistant Clinical Professor for 11 years with the Department of OMS providing clinical instruction with direct patient contact at both the UTHSCSA and The University Health System – University Hospital. Here he presented lectures on various OMS and sedation topics to dental students, OMS residents, and general dentists, while treating his private patients at UTHSCSA Faculty Practice Clinic, and holding various committee and board appointments at the UTHSCSA.

        In 2014, Dr. Valdez decided to leave the University and return to private practice as an associate general dentist providing sedation, oral surgical, and general dental services. Dr. Valdez continues to lecture for the UTHSCSA presenting continuing dental education courses in Nitrous Oxide Sedation, Enteral Sedation, and Medical Emergency Prevention and Management in the Dental Office as well as offers an online sedation course.

        During his spare time, Dr. Valdez enjoys community service, hiking, and playing guitar.

        Dr. Valdez’s Associations and Affiliations:
        - American Dental Society of Anesthesiology
        - Special Care Dentistry Organization
        - American Association of Hospital Dentists
        - The International Association of Student Clinicians
        - Founding member of the Lone Star Dental Sedation Study Club. You may contact this author at valdeze@uthscsa.edu

    Tuition

    Course Fee: $120.00

    Credit

    Hours: 9.00

    Important Course Information

    This interactive course is the same didactic material that is required of a dentist to become certified in nitrous oxide. Please be advised that only licensed certified dentists can administer nitrous oxide. Some of the material you will read includes information pertaining to the administration of nitrous oxide. This is for your information only. When seeing a statement such as "The following is a suggested "step by step" technique for administering nitrous oxide - oxygen conscious sedation", this should not be interpreted as a dental hygienist or dental assistant administering nitrous oxide.

    Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive an electronic verification for 9 hours of didactic continuing dental education. Print this document and save the verification for your records - follow the prompts allowing you to print the certificate.

    Your next step will be to fill out and mail in an “Application for Nitrous Oxide Monitoring Certificate” to the State Board in order to complete certification. This form, for both Dental Hygienists and Dental Assistant, can be located on the Board’s website: www.tsbde.texas.gov under Optional Certifications (Dental Hygiene/Dental Assistants).

    Before mailing in the application be sure to complete the form by attaching all the requested information, such as a copy of your completion certificate, a copy of your active CPR card, etc. Please note: There is an application fee that must be included, made payable to the State Board for processing this application. If you have any questions regarding the application, please address them to the State Board at (512) 463-6400.
    On behalf of the Office of Continuing Dental Education, congratulations and the best of luck in your career.

    Register now!

    Original Date: 09/01/2012 | Review Date: 08/31/2017 | Expiration Date: 08/30/2025

    Register now!

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    • For help or questions about this program, you can contact us at:
    • Phone: (210) 567-3177
      Email: cdesupport@uthscsa.edu

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    School of Dentistry

    7703 Floyd Curl Drive
    San Antonio, TX 78229

    210-567-7000

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