Dexamethasone steroid use in dental procedures
For most people going to the dentist from the minute the appointment is made causes the individual to feel stress and fear. However they go to the appointment. After x-rays and talking to the dentist he tells you that you have to have a root canal. Your stress level just jumped and your fear has tripled. The dentist explains that he uses a steroid dexamethasone for pain management after a root canal, that by using the dexamethasone he can reduce pain and inflammation after the procedure. That sounded good to you, but you have heard bad things about steroids.
Dexamethasone is a steroid and steroids due help the body heal faster and have been known to reduce inflammation. Such as use in treating the lungs. Recommended use for treatment is a dose of dexamethasone in the morning before the procedure and on following the procedure and a final dose the day after the procedure. This along with Motrin and antibiotics, this will allow the healing without a narcotic such as Percocet or oxicodone.
The use of dexamethasone before root canal is reduce the swelling during the procedure along with an anti-inflammatory paste during the procedure can stop infection.
What are the risks or side effects if any is your question?
The dentist explains that there are some risks but he feels that they are minor. The one problem that you don’t have to worry about is the risk of being pregnant or breast feeding, the dexamethasone is not for use with a pregnant women or a woman who is breast feeding the steroids can ‘transfer to the baby and suppress growth and retard the body’s own production of steroids.” (2014). the dexamethasone can also hide an infection if it should develop after the root canal. This may lead to the patient suffering added pain from the infection.
Some patients may experience psychological problems such as insomnia; this will disappear after the steroid use is ended. The dentist will administer the back down of steroids so that the body does not experience withdraw. The results of the study are published in the “International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 2014.” Downloaded 11/2014
The benefits of using dexamethasone as a treatment for pain and inflammation in root canal according to the article outweigh the risks. By lessening the pain and suffering individuals can suffer after root canal will help alleviate pain. The patients who experience less pain and suffering will pass the word around to friends. Word of mouth advertising is free and can also help people choose root canal rather than insisting on extraction to avoid the fear and pain associated with root canal. Talk to your dentist about using steroids on your next visit.
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