New Chilli Anaesthetic Given Thumbs Up

Tue, 30 Oct 2007

A new chilli-based local anaesthetic could have a huge impact on dental treatment, the British Dental Health Foundation has revealed.

The anaesthetic appears to prevent pain without causing numbness, according to research carried out by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, with both stating the new anaesthetic could make procedures quicker, simpler and more convenient.

Chief executive of the BDHF, Dr Nigel Carter, explained: "Of course this research is still in its early stages but it could form the basis of a massive step forward in the battle against dental phobia ."

"According to our own surveys around one in five people who do not visit the dentist make this decision because they have a fear of pain."

"Although dentistry today is already pain free, some people find the numbness caused by current anaesthetic quite uncomfortable and because their mouth feels unnatural they might perceive the treatment as potentially more painful experience than they otherwise would," added Dr Carter.

Created by scientists in the US, the chilli anaesthetic is a combination of capsaicin (the natural compound that makes chilli peppers hot) and a derivative of the local anaesthetic lidocaine.

It works by selectively blocking pain-sensing neurons without interfering with other types of neurons, meaning that the individual doesn't feel any pain but still reacts in the same way to other sensations such as touch or movement.

However, the red-hot treatment has only been tested on rats so far.
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