1. Blog
  2. children's
  3. Warning about the possible effect of some anti-inflammatory drugs on children's dental enamel.

Warning about the possible effect of some anti-inflammatory drugs on children's dental enamel.

 A study published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that the anti-inflammatory drugs commonly taken by children could be associated with dental enamel defects.

Warning about the possible effect of some anti-inflammatory drugs on children's dental enamel


Experts from the School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto (in Brazil) have documented a sharp increase in the number of children seeking treatment for pain, white or yellow spots on their teeth, and tooth sensitivity and fragility; it has even been shown that in some cases, simple chewing can fracture their teeth. All these are classic symptoms of dental enamel defects known as enamel hypomineralization, the causes of which are not well determined.


Based on this reality, the collaboration of researchers from the School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto (FORP-USP) and the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCFRP-USP), both belonging to the University of São Paulo, have evaluated in rats the effects of celecoxib and indomethacin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the first step in the analgesic scale.


Thanks to analyses based on images and chemical composition, the study has made it possible to observe how the consumption of these anti-inflammatory drugs is associated with essential alterations in dental mineralization. The teeth contained lower-than-normal calcium and phosphate levels (necessary for the formation of tooth enamel), and the mineral density was low.  In addition, alterations were found in proteins needed for mineralization and cell differentiation, demonstrating that the drugs had indeed affected the composition of tooth enamel


The work has been carried out in animal models, but the process has already begun for a clinical study to confirm the research results in humans.

Comments