Do you dread dental visits? Are you terrified of needles? Do you wish there was an easier way to get dental treatment that didn’t cause so much anxiety? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, the Kovanaze dentistry may be the perfect thing to ask about at your next dental appointment.
Kovanaze dentistry is an anxiety-free approach to dentistry. Kovanaze is a needle-less dental anesthetic that is administered through the nasal passageways. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2016 for safe use as a dental anesthetic. Since Kovanaze is still quite new, many people are unfamiliar with it. To help familiarize you with this modern dental wonder, here are three things you need to know about Kovanaze dentistry:
Delivered as a Nasal Spray
Yes, you read that right. After over a 100 years of administering dental anesthetics with a needle, Kovanaze is the first dental anesthetic that can be administered entirely WITHOUT a needle. Instead, Kovanaze is sprayed into the nose, just as any nasal spray would be. However, it must be sprayed into the nostril on the same side as the tooth being treated. In most cases, only 2 sprays spaced 5 minutes apart are enough to numb the treatment area. In some cases, a third spray may be required.
Is a Regional Anesthetic
Kovanaze is a regional anesthetic that works just as effectively as dental anesthetics that are injected. It maintains a 96% success rate when anesthetizing teeth #5-12 and a 64% success rate when used on teeth #4 and #13. Kovanaze contains tetracaine and oxymetazoline to numb the affected area. Tetracaine is an anesthetic that blocks nerve signals, while oxymetazoline constricts the nasal blood vessels to allow the tetracaine to be more effective. Unlike other dental anesthetics, Kovanaze may not cause numbness or tingling in the lips and cheeks in some patients.
Versatile
Kovanaze can be used for a variety of restorative dental procedures including fillings, dental crowns, inlays, onlays, root canals, and veneer preparation. However it is only effective in teeth #4-13, which are located on the maxilla, or upper jaw.
Although Kovanaze is a new development to the dental world, it has already proven to be a wonderful advancement for many patients. Having a regional anesthetic that is both versatile and that can be delivered through a nasal spray, allows dentists to provide their patients with effective dental care that is anxiety-free. If you hate going to the dentist because of needles, ask your dentist if Kovanaze dentistry can be beneficial for you. For more information, see “Kovanaze”.
