Impact of experiential learning on dental students' training in nitrous oxide inhalation sedation.

Purpose/objectives: Competence in nitrous oxide/oxygen (N O/O ) 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 N O/O .

Methods: A biphasic, mixed methods study was conducted at a Midwestern dental school and included 2 cohorts of dental students.