Anesthesia Could Impact Kids’ Oral Health
Dr. Jeremy Suess, your trusted dentist in Clackamas, and the rest of our friendly and experienced staff at Clackamas Smiles Family Dental place the health and safety of our patients as the number one priority. Our commitment to patient safety ensures that every visit to our conveniently located Clackamas dental office ends with you feeling healthier than before.
When it comes to taking care of the oral health needs of younger patients, Dr. Suess strives to meet the unique requirements associated with treating patients. That can occasionally result in the need to change how younger patients are treated when new research brings previously unknown information to light.
Case in point, a new study now suggests that the use of local anesthetic may negatively impact the development of children’s teeth.
Breaking New Ground
In their latest study, researchers from the University of Plymouth found that local anesthetics commonly used in dental treatments can interfere with the production of oral cells. Local anesthetic is commonly used in dental treatments, more than any other clinical areas.
The findings of researchers showed for the first time evidence that local anesthetic may negative impact the development of children’s teeth on both a molecular and cellular level.
As part of their study, researchers conducted an experiment with the use of younger tooth pulp cells and pig teeth. They discovered that local anesthetics commonly used in dental treatments could affect the growth of teeth cells in the mouth.
Researchers founds that the “longer duration of exposure to high concentrations of local anesthetic was most harmful because it interferes with the function of the mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ of the cell, and induce a cell death mechanism named ‘autophagy,’ said researchers in the a report detailing the study’s findings.
Better Oral Health the Key
According to researchers, the findings of this latest study help to underscore the need for parents to actively work with their kids to improve their oral hygiene and overall oral health to avoid the need for dental surgery.
By practicing quality oral hygiene at home – considered by the American Dental Association as brushing twice a day and flossing daily – kids can reduce their risk of tooth decay and gum disease, the most common causes for conditions that require dental surgery.
Researches also went on to say that further study is needed before a clear cause and effect relationship between anesthesia and tooth cell growth can be firmly established.
Clackamas dentist Dr. Jeremy Suess will continue to monitor the latest research findings to determine the best course of treatment for all of his patients at Clackamas Smiles Family Dental.