Think Dental Nitrous Oxide
Is Safe? Think Again!
Dental Nitrous Oxide is often seen as a completely safe form of dental anesthesia. In reality, it is anything BUT safe- not even for the dentists and dental assistants who are ALSO exposed to it during procedures!
Dental nitrous oxide is a gas that is frequently used in dental procedures and other seemingly 'minor' in-office procedures to relieve anxiety and pain. But this seemingly harmless gas is really a DRUG and just like any other drug, it can have some serious and even DEADLY side effects!
While there are Nitrous Oxide Side Effects such as hypoxia (lack of oxygen during the procedure), one of the main VERY SERIOUS side effects of dental nitrous oxide is that your Vitamin B12 Levels are depleted each and every time that you have nitrous oxide anesthesia. While the Vitamin B12 lowering effects are worse the longer you use the dental nitrous oxide, even very short episodes, such as those used in dental offices ARE one of the Causes of B12 Deficiency.
For the majority of people in the majority of circumstances, this is simply just not an issue, but for certain people this effect can and is one of the :
- Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy
- Mental Changes from B12 Deficiency
- Possible Fibromyalgia Cause
- Even death!
Dentists don't tell you about these problems because they are
seen as being so incredibly rare that they are not even worth
mentioning. But this is only because these problems:
- Often go Undiagnosed as being from dental nitrous oxide
- No one goes back to their DENTIST to complain of medical problems, they go to their DOCTOR
- The nitrous oxide effects take several weeks to months to
occur and few people connect the 'harmless' procedure to the worsening
of their symptoms
- Because no one is told about these nitrous oxide effects, people don't mention recent dental anesthesia to their doctors
- Doctors are unaware of MTHFR Gene Mutation that puts people at higher risk for problems from dental nitrous oxide.
What Are the Neurologic Problems
From Dental Nitrous Oxide?
Symptoms can be any health problems like:
-
Forgetfulness
- 'Brain fog'
- Muscle pain
- Numbness and tingling in the limbs
- Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Fatigue
- Lesions on the spine(4)
- Even death(3)!
These symptoms MIGHT occur right after receiving the dental nitrous oxide, but may occur over a period of weeks to months. When this happens, most people simply do not connect the 'extremely safe' dental anesthesia to their symptoms, and without being told about the anesthesia, their doctor doesn't either. This is a HUGE problem for the elderly who may have mild cognitive problems already. When their problems become worse, no one looks into possible causes and these seniors are labeled with 'Alzheimer's Disease' or 'dementia' when they really have Mental Changes from B12 Deficiency that could be Completely Reversed with Vitamin B12 Supplementation!
"Patients with vitamin B12 deficiency are
exceedingly sensitive to neurologic
deterioration following nitrous oxide anesthesia.
If unrecognized, the neurologic deterioration becomes
irreversible and may result in death."
'Neurologic Degeneration Associated With Nitrous Oxide Anesthesia'
Who is Most At Risk?
These health problems from B12 deficiency ONLY occur in those who are already have Vitamin B12 Deficiency, but thousands have Subclinical Vitamin B12 Deficiency that goes unrecognized in the medical community who believe that Vitamin B12 Deficiency is 'rare'.
The research study, Vitamin B12 Deficiency in the Elderly estimates that between 10 to 15% of the elderly in the US have unrecognized Vitamin B12 deficiency! That's a HUGE number of people affected! But the elderly are not the only ones at risk. Others at risk are:
-
Vegans and Vegetarians
- Autistic Children
- Those with Hyperhomocysteinemia
- People with a family history of heart disease
- Those who may have diagnosed or undiagnosed Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Deficiency (MTHFR)
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
- Anyone with pre-existing neurologic disease or mental illness
- Anyone who uses or who has used Nitrous Oxide (AKA 'Whippets') as a recreational drug
- The millions of people taking Acid Reflux Medication
"In patients with borderline[Vitamin B12 levels],
even short exposures to nitrous oxide
may be sufficient to precipitate
[Vitamin B12] deficiency syndrome."
'Nitrous oxide anesthesia-associated myelopathy'
Other Damaging Nitrous Oxide Effects
The side effects of nitrous oxide anesthesia don't stop there, though. While neurologic problems get the spotlight, more subtle nitrous oxide effects happen to EVERYONE exposed to nitrous oxide anesthesia.
A blood test called homocysteine is often done as an aid to help determine risk of heart disease and stroke. And everyone who receives dental nitrous oxide gets elevated homocysteine levels. While no on is talking about it, nitrous oxide effects have the potential to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke by increasing plasma homocysteine levels!
One study (1) even showed higher rates of heart attack and even death (7) during procedures when they used dental nitrous oxide, and another study (2) showed bone marrow depression after only 5 days of use, while dentists also have a high rate of bone marrow toxicity(5) even though their vitamin b12 levels are completely normal!
In a study of bone marrow donors(6), those who had received nitrous oxide had "mild but unequivocal DNA synthetic abnormalities" in their bone marrow- yipes! And these were healthy people without vitamin b12 deficiency!
I'll bet that your dentist never told you THAT!
The Simple Solution
that Dentists Don't Do
There is an EASY remedy to this problem that has been suggested by several peer reviewed studies in dental journals, but doctors simply do not do it(8).
Give Vitamin B12 Supplements
prior to the procedure!
Vitamin B12 Supplements are virtually tasteless and melt under the tongue. Since they don't even have to be swallowed, they can be given to anyone- even small children and those who can't swallow. Since there has NEVER been an overdose on B12 supplements and there are no known reasons that someone should NOT take a one time dose, a large 'one size fits all' dose could be given to every single person who gets Dental Nitrous Oxide right in the office just before their procedure.
Since the research is clear that EVERY person who has exposure to nitrous oxide decreases the Vitamin B12 stores in their body, wouldn't it make sense to simply give a dose of the safe and non-toxic Vitamin B12 Supplements before ANY nitrous oxide anesthesia is given?
This simple and inexpensive precaution would be likely to completely prevent 100% of the problems associated with B12 deficiency from nitrous oxide anesthesia- including the rare, but completely unnecessary and preventable deaths that have occurred from the use of this so-called 'safe' drug.
An even BETTER prevention of these problems, however, is to have excellent Oral Health and Hygiene and to Heal and Even Reverse Your Dental Problems so that you never HAVE to take Nitrous Oxide Dental Anesthesia ever again!
Next --->
Oral Health and Hygiene
Vitamin B12 Resources
-
Beyond B12, Methylcobalamin Supplements-
Vitamin B12 SHOULD be taken in the form of Methylcobalamin. Don't take
anything less! This formulation has Folic Acid, Biotin and Vitamin B6 as
well.
- Accurate In-Home Vitamin B12 Testing- This test is NOT ONLY the most sensitive vitamin B12 test available, but it it done Right in Your Home using a single urine sample! This test is a MUST for the elderly, for vegetarians and vegans and for EVERYONE with unresolved health problems that could be Vitamin B 12 Deficiency Symptoms!
- Heal and Even Reverse Your Dental Problems- Dr. Nara Reveals the secrets that dentists DON'T WANT you to know! Reverse periodontal disease and even heal your teeth! You won't find this information anywhere else.
Research on Dental Nitrous Oxide
(1)Nitrous Oxide-Induced Increased Homocysteine Concentrations
(2)The interaction between nitrous oxide and cobalamin
(5)Toxicity of bone marrow in dentists exposed to nitrous oxide
(7) Effect of nitrous oxide on plasma homocysteine and folate in patients undergoing major surgery
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