Marijuana derivative might be an alternative for opioids for dental pain

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An interesting article titled “Cannabidiol as an Alternative Analgesic for Acute Dental Pain” written by V. Chrepa and et. al. was published November 1, 2023 in the Journal of Dental Research. The article sought to assess the effectiveness and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) as an analgesic for patients with acute dental pain. The study showed that CBD, a non-addictive and non-psychoactive component of Cannabis sativa, demonstrated potential as a therapeutic analgesic for acute dental pain. CBD may offer a safer and equally efficacious alternative to opioid-based medications. This is believed to be the first randomized clinical trial testing CBD for the management of dental pain. Currently dentists and oral surgeons have switched to anti-inflammatories such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen as the first line of defense for dental pain, see for example the post Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs better than opioids for pain after … Read more

Dental Opioid Prescriptions after Covid: A Slowdown in Decline

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An interesting article titled Association between the COVID-19 outbreak and opioid prescribing by U.S. dentists written by Jason Zhang and et. al. appears in PLoS ONE, published on November 2, 2023, vol. 18, no. 11, pp. e0293621. The authors sought to evaluate the association between the COVID-19 outbreak and the rate of opioid prescribing by U.S. dentists The opioid crisis in the United States has cast a long shadow, reaching even into the realm of dental care and widom teeth removal. While national efforts have led to a gradual decline in opioid prescribing overall as discussed in the post Oral Surgeon Opioid Prescribing Habits in the US during 2016 to 2019, the study reveals a worrying trend: the COVID-19 pandemic may paused the efforts on progress in the dental field. For many years, the number of opioid prescriptions give out … Read more

Association between brain and periodontitis

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An interesting article titled Periodontitis causally affects the brain cortical structure: A Mendelian randomization study written by Mengqiao Wang and et. al. appears in the Journal of Periodontal Research, published December 7, 2023. The authors sought out to estimate whether genetically proxied periodontitis impacts the brain cortical structure. The lines between oral and neurological health blur further, as the article reveals that gum disease isn’t just a dental concern, but can potentially impact the way our brains are wired. The researchers found a causal link between periodontitis, also known as gum disease, and changes in the structure of the brain’s cortex. This is the first study to show such a connection, and may open a new avenue for understanding neurological diseases. To uncover a potential cause-and-effect link between gum disease and brain structure, researchers employed a clever technique called “Mendelian randomization.” … Read more

Stannous Flouride Combination Can Eliminate Dental Cavities

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An interesting article titled “Iron oxide nanozymes stabilize stannous fluoride for targeted biofilm killing and synergistic oral disease prevention” written by Yue Huang and et. al. appears in Nature Communications, vol. 14, No. 6087, 2023. The article discusses a potent therapeutic synergism using approved agents while providing facile stannous fluoride stabilization, to help prevent oral disease and dental caries (cavities). The authors describes a new method for using iron oxide nanozymes to stabilize stannous fluoride and improve the ability to kill biofilms. Biofilms are communities of bacteria that can form on teeth and other surfaces in the mouth. They are difficult to remove and can lead to tooth decay and other oral diseases. Stannous fluoride is an effective antimicrobial agent, but it is unstable and can be difficult to deliver to the site of infection. Ferumoxytol, an iron replacement, stabilizes stannous fluoride … Read more

Dental extractions and surgeries can lead to endocarditis

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An interesting study titled “Antibiotic Prophylaxis Against Infective Endocarditis Before Invasive Dental Procedures,” written by Martin H. Thornill and et. al. appears in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (published online August 17, 2022). The article investigates the association between invasive dental procedures and infective endocarditis, and the effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis in reducing this. In the study the authors performed a case-crossover analysis and cohort study using data from 7,951,972 million patients in the U.S. from the Commercial/Medicare Supplemental prescription and dental databases and the IBM MarketScan databases. A total of 3,744 patients in the study were hospitalized with infective endocarditis. From the patients hospitalized, 1,651 (44%) were at low or unknown risk for heart infection, 831 (22%) were at moderate risk of heart infection, and 1,292 (34%) were at high infective endocarditis risk. The overall adjusted infective endocarditis incidence within … Read more