From the JADA – Continuing Education
Image by e³°°° via Flickr
Red hair color is caused by variants of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene. People with naturally red hair are resistant to subcutaneous local anesthetics and, therefore,may experience increased anxiety regarding dental care. The authors tested the hypothesis that having natural red hair color,a MC1R gene variant or both could predict a patient’s experiencing dental care-related anxiety and dental care avoidance.
