Nasal Spray Could Benefit Dental Patients

Nasal Spray Could Benefit Dental Patients

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 25 June 2013 15:16

Those anesthetic injections for dental procedures may become a thing of the past.

A new anesthetic nasal spray is currently undergoing clinical trials. If proven to be successful, it may be used instead of lidocaine injections.

The information from the study appeared on the Internet and will be published in the July issue of the Journal of Dental Research. The next phase of the trial included 45 adults and the final phase was concluded as the study was awaiting publication.

The second and third phases were considered successful and the spray may soon be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It’s conceivable that the drug becomes available in the next year.

The drug was created and developed by St. Renatus and is called Kovocaine Mist. The amount of anesthesia is equivalent to that of a lidocaine injection. It could be extremely helpful for patients who refuse to visit the dentist based on a fear of needles.

The spray possesses tetracaine and oxymetazoline hydrochloride, a decongestant that lowers inflammation and bleeding. The formula comes from medicine used by ear, nose and throat doctors.

Louisiana Doesn’t Have Enough Dentists

Louisiana Doesn’t Have Enough Dentists

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 26 June 2013 15:07

Louisiana has a dental shortage that can rival any other state in the United States.

The new report released by Pew Charitable Trusts showed that more than 24 percent of the state’s population is underserved by dentists. The dentist shortage in Louisiana is tied with Alabama, behind only Mississippi.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that around 42 percent of these dentists are older than 55.

The information came to light as the state Department of Health and Hospitals is reducing reimbursement rates to dentists that stem from Medicaid. Dentists say this will lower access to services.

But the DHH doesn’t believe this will have a major impact on dentists.

The information from this study—and many previous ones—indicates that people without early exposure to dental care will encounter more serious dental problems that could have been prevented easily, if only they had prior routine dental care.

The $2.8 million reduction for Medicaid payments comes in addition to the 14 percent for some of the more frequently billed procedures, according to the Louisiana Dental Association.

Based on information from the DDH, however, 43 percent of children on Medicaid received dental treatment in the 2011-12 fiscal year. That’s a 13-percent rise from where the numbers were in the 2007-08 fiscal year.

The way things transpire in the future is anyone’s guess. More dentists may back out of the Medicaid program or more changes may be made to lure them back in.