I am a dental hygienist and recently found out that I was pregnant. My co-workers sometimes use my room with their nitrous patients. Do you know if there is a set timeframe that I should wait before I enter my room and how far away from the room I should be, while nitrous is in use? Or should I just tell my DDS that they need to have the hygienist use a different room..
It’s hard to give you a set time frame to enter a room after nitrous use because it depends on how well maintained your scavenger system is and the ventilation system of your office (i.e. suggested minimum of 5 changes of air per hour and it’s recommended to have 15-20 changes of air per hour). I have found quite a few websites where hygienists report multiple miscarriages due to nitrous exposure at work. Personally, I wouldn’t take any risks and I would not allow it to be used in your operatory. Just my opinion! I have seen pregnant dentists not allow it at all in their offices during their pregnancy due to the possible risks, as well. You should definitely do some additional research and make an informed decision that you feel is best for you!
I would order a nitrous monitor. It will give you peace of mind.
Advanced Chemical Sensors, Inc.
Technical Information Sheet
Nitrous Oxide Vapor Monitor
$39.00/each
ACS Vapor Monitor can be worn as a badge near the breathing zone to measure personal exposure, or placed in a room to measure area concentration.
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