Is Needle-Free Anesthesia Possible?
Needle Free Anesthesia? Dental anxiety is often related to patients’ fear of needles. A new study, however, suggests that needles may be replaced by iontophoresis, the use of a tiny electric current to administer anesthesia in the dental setting. Researchers
Is Needle-Free Anesthesia Possible?
Dental anxiety is often related to patients’ fear of needles. A new study, however, suggests that needles may be replaced by iontophoresis, the use of a tiny electric current to administer anesthesia in the dental setting. Researchers from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, have introduced this technology to alleviate pain during dental procedures and provide a better dental experience to patients who are needle phobic.
Study results—which appeared in the article “Needle-Free Buccal Anesthesia Using Iontophoresis and Amino Amide Salts Combined in a Mucoadhesive Formulation” published in the December issue of the journal Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces—showed that the electric current provided fast-acting and long-lasting anesthesia. Furthermore, iontophoresis helped the anesthesia enter the body more effectively and thoroughly permeate the lining of the oral cavity.
The researchers are currently developing an iontophoretic device to use for the delivery of needle-free anesthesia. They plan to follow up with preclinical trials.
Hygiene Connection E-Newsletter
February 2016
