Who doesn’t enjoy a dollop of this whipped wonder on a latte or hot chocolate?

How about an anxiety-free dental appointment?

When prioritizing the importance of nitrous oxide during the current nationwide shortage of this gas, medical and dental clients rise to the top.

A recent WashingtonPost.com report  offers the skinny as to why “some major manufacturers won’t be able to keep up with holiday demand” for aerosol whipped creams:

“A key ingredient in whipped cream is nitrous oxide, sometimes called “laughing gas” for its ability to relax people and ease pain when getting teeth pulled. But it also acts as a propellant to get whipped cream out of the can and a preservative to keep it from going rancid.

Just two companies, Air Liquide and Matheson Tri-Gas, produce nitrous oxide for all of the United States and Canada. Together, they operate five nitrous oxide plants, which supply the three packing facilities that can the majority of America’s whipped creams.

At each of these highly consolidated nodes, even a small disruption could impact a large number of products further down the supply chain.”

The not-so-small disruption in this instance: an August 28 explosion at the Air Liquide nitrous oxide facility in Florida that took one life and is currently under federal investigation.

What does this mean for dentists?

According to WasthingtonPost.com, “Air Liquide has allocated its remaining supply to medical clients first and back-burnered its clients in food manufacturing. With a limited supply of nitrous oxide, ConAgra (think Reddi-wip) and Dean Foods said they had to slash their whipped cream production.”

How does this hearken back to the Eggo waffle shortage of 2009? Read the full story to learn the parallel: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/21/the-real-reason-you-cant-buy-whipped-cream-this-christmas/?utm_term=.edb2f0965aee

Meanwhile, fear not for your upcoming dental visit.

As for satisfying your  sweet tooth?  Stock up on  Cool Whip (a non-aerosol whipped cream product).

Better yet, start early on your new year’s resolution to trim the fat, and order that morning beverage sans whip.

On a related topic, wherin lies the fate of your Guinness pour?