AsianScientist (Sep. 14, 2015) – A study published in Cell Death Discovery suggests that the use of local anesthetic may affect tooth cell growth and the development of children’s teeth. These findings come at a time when more children than ever before are subjected to dental surgery–and local anesthetic-because of tooth decay or the other orthodontic conditions.
Using pig teeth and human young permanent tooth pulp cells, a team of researchers led by Dr. Hu Bing at the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and involving other researchers from China and Switzerland, has identified that local anesthetics commonly used in clinics can affect the proliferation of tooth cells. It is the first time that evidence has been found to suggest that local anesthetic could affect tooth cell growth and potentially impact upon tooth development.
According to the research team, dental treatment involves more frequent use of local anesthetic than any other clinical area. Although the maximum dosage of various local anesthetics is established, their side effects on dental tissue have until now not been fully investigated.
The study found that the longer duration of exposure to high concentrations of local anesthetic was most harmful because it interferes with the function of mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ of the cell. It induces a cell death mechanism named autophagy. The research team investigated the major kind of local anesthetics currently used in dental clinics in the UK, Switzerland and China.
While the study has identified a potential harmful effect of local anesthetic on developing teeth, the research team is keen to emphasize that further clinical studies are required before there is enough data to change clinical guidelines, and that parents should not be alarmed or withdraw their children from treatment if they need it.
Hu said, “Our study has shown for the first time the evidence that local anesthetic may affect the development of children’s teeth on the cellular and molecular levels. We accept that we need to carry out further clinical studies and we do not wish for our findings to alarm parents unnecessarily, but we do expect, in time, to improve clinical guidelines through our research to minimize the dosage of local anesthetic drugs.”
He added, “Our findings emphasize the need for parents to help their children to avoid the need for dental surgery, such as tooth extractions, in the first place by paying attention to diet and good oral hygiene, and regular visits to the dentist.”
The article can be found at: Zhuang et al. (2015) Local Anesthetics Induce Autophagy in Young Permanent Tooth Pulp Cells.
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Source: Plymouth University; Photo: makelessnoise/Flickr/CC.
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