A study out of the Cleveland Clinic says natural red heads are more resistant to local anesthetics during dental procedures. The study involved 144 participants, including 67 red heads and 77 people with dark hair. Participants filled out surveys designed to measure dental-care anxiety, fear, dental pain and previous avoidance of dental care.
“Red heads are more sensitive to pain than people with other hair colors and will thus experience more discomfort during painful procedures,” said Cleveland Clinic anesthesiologist Dr. Daniel Sessler, who led the study.
The findings add weight to other research showing increased pain and resistance to anesthesia in people with red hair. Researchers believe genetic differences explain their findings.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.