Methoxyflurane in Dental Anaesthesia: a Blind Trial by R. D. Unkles and J. I. Murray Lawson

Anaesthesia with nitrous oxide and oxygen, alone or supplemented with methoxyflurane or halothane, was administered for dental extractions in 256 patients (204 children and 52 antenatal women). Anaesthesia was regarded as "good" in 69 per cent of patients with methoxyflurane and 75 per cent with halothane, but only 50 per cent with unsupplemented nitrous oxide and oxygen. A further trial was carried out in 144 children and 8 antenatal women, nitrous oxide and oxygen being supplemented in all cases with methoxyflurane or halothane. There were 59 per cent "good" results with methoxyflurane and 76 per cent with halothane. Methoxyflurane was found to be considerably cheaper than halothane. The shortcomings of purely inhalational anaesthesia for dental extractions was shown by the finding that in no series was the percentage of "good" results as high as 80.