New Injection-Free Anesthetic Methods in Dentistry

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New methods for giving patients anesthesia during dental treatments are under development that can do away with the painful injection methods of the past.

Researchers have found that a very common anesthetic can be administered in the form of nose drops or it can be given to dental patients in the form of a nasal spray and it can generate the same anesthetic effects as if it has been injected.

When administered the drug affects the nerves in the patient’s face and it numbs the structures within the mouth including the jaws and teeth.

This find may eventually lead to brand new intranasal sedative medications which can be utilized as pain free, noninvasive anesthetic methods.

The sedative medication may also be used in the future to deal with painful migraine conditions and dental pain as well. This information was recently shared in a publication appearing in the American Chemical Society’s journal entitled Molecular Pharmaceutics.

The new method of anesthetizing dental patients is placed in the maxillary sinus; a place positioned just beneath the patient’s cheek.

Quick numbing effects have been noted that can prove beneficial in dealing with dental pain and in allowing for a more positive experience at the dental office.

Researchers have found that the medication, when applied to the nose, travel straight to the human brain so the anesthetic is fast acting.

The primary nerve affected by the treatment method is the trigeminal nerve and this is numbed when the spray or drops are applied. The trigeminal nerve, when numbed, also numbs the mouth, the nose, and the face.

It also affects the teeth and gums so that dental procedures can be performed. Medications like Xylocaine and lidocaine, when sprayed in the nasal area, help to quickly numb the nerves necessary to alleviate dental pain.

This treatment may prove successful in dealing with conditions like trigeminal neuralgia which results in extreme facial pain as well as other painful conditions.