Don’t Use Benzocaine For Children’s Teething Pain!

by Walter Dunham Dentist

Do you have a young child who has been encountering teething pain? If yes, you may choose from a range of pain relievers to handle the situation but at the same time it is important to know that now all of them are good for health. One of the commonly used pain relievers is Benzocaine that is found to be quite effective in reducing the teething pain in young children. However, a recent report suggests that this OTC pain killer could harmful for your child.

The FDA has issued a warning in a recent drug safety communication (www.fda.gov) that OTC teething products having benzocaine as an ingredient should not be used to treat infants and children younger than age 2.

According to a May 23, 2018 press release, "OTC oral health products containing the pain reliever benzocaine for the temporary relief of sore gums due to teething in infants or children should no longer be marketed and [the FDA] is asking companies to stop selling these products for such use. If companies do not comply, the FDA will initiate a regulatory action to remove these products from the market."

Benzocaine, a commonly used anesthetic pain reliever, is advertised under various brand names such as Anbesol, Cepacol, Hurricaine, Orajel and Topex. It's also available in the market as a usual medication or a store brand, and may come in the formula of a gel, spray, ointment or lozenge. Irrespective of the name or the form, however, it's harmful for babies and young children when used.

Now comes what is the exact reason behind the rejection of this pain reliever? According to a leading San Eli TX dentist, “Benzocaine is related with a disorder known as methemoglobinemia—a rare but grave and possibly life-threatening condition. This illness emerges when the blood contains raised levels of methemoglobin, a hemoglobin-like protein. As methemoglobin takes provides less oxygen to body tissues than hemoglobin, an accumulation of this substance can lead to shortness of breath, fatigue and dizziness—and in more extreme conditions, seizures, coma and death. Various drugs, including some local pain relievers like benzocaine and lidocaine, can lead to a big rise in methemoglobin levels. The problem is particularly extreme in young children.

El Paso Dental experts suggest that if you come across any warning sign of Benzocaine, you should immediately contact a San Eli TX dentist who may take remedial steps to bring down its impact. When suggesting or writing local anesthetic medicines, the FDA directs health care professionals to warn patients about the possible risk of methemoglobinemia, and its signs and symptoms.