With the rise in opioid addiction and deaths, doctors and patients are looking for viable alternatives to alleviate serious pain. Much research has been done on the use of THC for pain, but since THC is psychoactive, it gets patients high, an effect many don’t want. However, cannabidiol – CBD – which is the non-addictive marijuana derivative, does not. CBD does not produce a “high”, and is widely available.
In a recent study, researchers from Rutgers found that CBD alleviates acute dental pain, a finding that could revolutionize dental pain management. The results published in the Journal of Dental Research indicate that CBD may be an equally effective but far safer alternative to addictive opioid painkillers.*
Dental pain is usually treated with over the counter anti-inflammatory medications, but when patients can’t tolerate them or get sufficient relief from them, opioids are often prescribed. “We studied cannabidiol or CBD because previous research from other specialties suggested that it might relieve dental pain without any psychoactive effects, which is really what everyone wants to find,” said lead study author Vanessa Chrepa, an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and director of clinical and translational research at the school’s department of endodontics.
The trial studied 61 patients with severe dental pain. They either received one or two doses of a CBD solution or a placebo, and their pain levels were monitored for three hours. Both CBD groups reported substantially more pain reduction than did the placebo group. About 85 percent of CBD users reported at least a 50 percent reduction in their initial pain, and both CBD groups reached a median 70 percent reduction in pain. Researchers also observed an increase in bite force among participants who received CBD, suggesting an improvement in tooth function and the ability to chew.
Some participants did experience some minor side effects, and there were limitations to the study. The study sample size was small, so more research needs to be done to confirm the findings and explore the use of CBD in pain management. Plans are currently underway for a larger clinical trial to build on these results.
Read more about this study at MedicalXPress.com.
*https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-marijuana-component-opioid-alternative-effectively.html
