No more noxious needles...

A dentists' needle...the worst nightmare for a child. The fear of needles is known as "Needle phobia" and is a growing issue with young individuals. This often prevents a treatment from going ahead as the individual is emotionally distressed about the situation. However, research from University of São Paulo has potentially discovered the ideal solution for children who require a local anaesthetic without the fear of the consequences from a needle. This week, Universal Medicine will be exploring anaesthetics as well as the future of local anaesthetics.

Firstly, we need to understand the science behind a local anaesthetic. There are two types of anaesthetics, one that can knock out the entire body contrasting to the anaesthetic which can numb a certain area which is often used in dentistry. When the body’s sensory neurone detects a dangerous stimulus it responds by sending a signal to the brain (this does not happen in a reflex). However, a local anaesthetic can block the nerves that connect a body part to the brain hence as the brain does not pick up the signal the stimulus is not felt. Moreover, a common anaesthetic used in dentistry is novocaine shots which numb the mouth so root canal and other treatments can occur. Next, an anaesthetic which allows the patient to sleep during the treatment is a general anaesthetic- most common general anaesthetics are usually in the form of an inhalable gas.

Indeed, as a local anaesthetic is usually in needle form it brings the issue of needle phobia. However, an interesting development in Brazil has seen the rise of an electric anaesthetic. The process by which the electrical anaesthetic functions is through Iontophoresis whereby an electric current causes the diffusive flow of ions which can numb the mouth- researchers actually found that this method made the anaesthetic more effective. Moreover, this electrical method would be more cost effective as fewer resources are needed when it's used however the development is still in process. Subsequently, this method could avoid contamination as well as infection. The researchers are, now, planning on creating an Iontophoretic device for only mouth-specific use.

Please do let us know your thoughts on this exciting innovation. Remember to share this with others! Until then, have a great week.

Written by Adil Rahman

Sources:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/305246.php
http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-developed-a-painless-electric-current-that-could-replace-the-dentist-s-needle
 

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