Nitrous oxide can be used to provide general anesthesia and sedation for dental procedures, as well as treating severe pain. The potent analgesic effects of medical nitrous oxide can be used to provide analgesia for settings like the emergency department or obstetrical unit.

Specifications for nitrous dioxide state that the liquid phase must be at least 99.0% pure. The purity in the gas phase will normally vary from 98.0% to 99.9% between a full and empty cylinder.