American scientists have revealed that dental patients may not have to receive injections whilst undergoing dental treatment anymore. An alternative: a new nasal spray product has been pioneered. The introduction of this new product may mean that painful anaesthetic injections are no longer necessary.This is good news for patients who are particularly anxious about needles and injections. Statistics show that around 15 million people in the UK suffer from ‘dental anxiety.’ This information was disclosed by the British Dental Association.
The nasal spay has been named Kovacaine Mist. Research so far has proved that the spay was as effective as standard anaethetic injections in four out of five patients. This research was carried out at the University of Buffalo.
The chief executive of the British Dental Health foundation made the following statement, ‘Patients anxious of the dentist are, in theory, likely to have poorer oral health than those who get regular check-ups. This nasal spray could be a very promising addition to any dental practice.’
Kovacine Mist is currently in the process of clinical trials in America. It has so far passed phase two of clinical trials. Further safety trials have been arranged for the product which involve the USA Food and Drugs Administration. The team and manufacturers behind Kovacine Mist are hopeful that these tests may be completed by the end of the summer which looks promising for the final product to be approved in the USA next year.