19 Jan

Gentle Dentistry News: No More Needles?

Some people have a general dentistry phobia and others merely have a fear of needles. Some people have both! Which can make dental visits more than a little uncomfortable due to the fact that anesthetics are applied using needles in the gums. While the sting of the needle usually feels like no more than a quick pinch, the very idea of a needle is frightening to many people. For those of you who have any fears about needles and dentistry, there is good news on the horizon! While the staff Lifetime Family Dental make every attempt at providing a stress-free, gentle dentistry atmosphere and understand our patients’ sensitivities, a new technology may be making the situation a bit more comfortable in the future.

This new study, published in Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, has demonstrated a way that anesthetic could be applied using a tiny electric current in place of a needle. Not only would this help bring piece of mind for people who avoid the dentist due to their fear of needles, it ultimately would save money and reduce the risk of both infection and contamination. This new technology would allow patients who were previously too fearful of needles to visit the dentist to have their dental health problems addressed that were being neglected due to their fears.

The researchers from University of Sao Paulo in Brazil found that not only did the tiny electric current work in place of a needle, it was actually more effective at administering the anesthetics! The current allowed the prilocaine hydrochloride to enter the patient’s body more effectively and the permeation of the anesthetic through the lining of the mouth even increased 12-fold! The researchers were optimistic that new administration method could be used in dentistry along with other areas like cancer treatment in the future.

While this technology isn’t yet available, Dr. Norton and the staff at Lifetime Family Dental will discuss with you openly and with the utmost understanding any fears that you have and what can be done to curtail them. Contact us today to schedule your appointment. (480) 558-4331

Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (1/19/2016) Melissa Wiese(Flickr)