Ozone Toxicity:
Therapeutic administration of Ozone did not cause any deleterious effects. But the inconsistent use of Ozone was reported to cause certain side effects like epiphora, upper respiratory tract irritation, rhinitis, cough, headache, occasional nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, blood vessel swelling, poor circulation, heart problems and at times stroke3. Because of its extreme oxidant capacity, good ozone hygiene is required. Correctly scavenging the excess ozone gas and preventing it from escaping into the office environment is essential. Because of ozone’s high oxidative power, all materials that come in contact with the gas must be ozone resistant such as glass, silicon and Teflon. However, in the event of ozone intoxication the patient must be placed in the supine position and treated with vitamin E and n-acetylcysteine. The European Cooperation of Medical Ozone Societies warns from direct intravenous injections of ozone/oxygen gas that should not be practiced due to the possible risk of air embolism2.
Conclusions:
Due to proven therapeutic advantages of ozone it is used in almost all aspects of dentistry. Ozone therapy allows a new vision, which complies with needs and demands of the public for non-invasive, effective dental care and it is truly a paradigm shift in dental practice. Ozone therapy has opened new vistas in treatment modalities for dental patients of all ages and applicable to a wide range of conditions of intra oral hard and soft tissues. It is especially suitable to the pediatric patients who find conventional treatment unacceptable. Further research is needed to standardize indications and treatment procedures of ozone therapy which would bring a revolution in dental practice in near future.
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