Guide to the Neurobiology of Dental Analgesics

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Beulig, Alfred

Keywords

Pain, Orofacial Pain, Dentistry, Analgesics

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

This thesis serves as a comprehensive analysis of the scientific community's understanding of the neurobiology of pain transmission in the orofacial region thus far into the 21st century. Investigation of nociceptive transmission and brain relay mechanisms of the trigeminal brainstem nuclear complex (VBSNC) are expanded upon to provide insights of how the body processes and modulates sensory information in the mouth. Another main focus is placed on the way in which western medicine conducts the assessment and management of pain. This includes a description of various pain models, holistic treatments, and clinical measures used to mask pain transmission. Orofacial disorders linked to chronic or persistent pain, including burning mouth syndrome and trigeminal neuralgia, are prevalent in the United States yet modern medicine is only capable of treating the disorder rather than determining causation. Contents also include an analysis of modern dental analgesics, specifically their uses, pharmacokinetic properties and physiological mechanisms. Recommendations are provided as to new approaches in research aimed to explore the future of pain management according to notable pain researcher Ronald Melzack.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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