Purpose/objectives: Competence in nitrous oxide/oxygen (N2 O/O2 ) inhalation sedation is expected of dental graduates, but applying what is learned through didactic instruction to patient care can be challenging without firsthand experience. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the impact of experiential learning on dental students' confidence and sense of preparedness for administration of N2 O/O2 .
Methods: A biphasic, mixed methods study was conducted at a Midwestern dental school and included 2 cohorts of dental students. In Phase 1 (spring 2019), a cross-sectional study design was used to survey outgoing third-year and fourth-year students who received didactic N2 O/O2 instruction alone. In Phase 2 (summer 2019), a nonrandomized, preintervention-postintervention study design was used to survey incoming third-year students before and after a hands-on N2 O/O2 laboratory exercise.
Results: Of the 79 Phase 1 students (99% response rate), all believed a firsthand learning experience with N2 O/O2 during didactic learning would increase their confidence and preparedness when administering to a patient (both P < .001). Of the 41 Phase 2 students (100% response rate), after the lab exercise, all felt that firsthand experience enhanced classroom instruction and increased confidence and preparedness when administering N2 O to a patient (all P < .001). Fifty-six (71%) Phase 1 and 39 (80%) Phase 2 students believed classroom instruction alone was inadequate to prepare them to administer N2 O/O2 (both P < .001).
Conclusions: Our results strongly suggest that experiential learning of N2 O/O2 inhalation sedation through a hands-on laboratory exercise should be incorporated into the predoctoral curricula of dental schools.
Keywords: clinical skills; dental education; dental students; experiential learning; nitrous oxide; teaching methodology.
© 2020 American Dental Education Association.