Genetics and Dentistry: Is Dental Anxiety Genetic?

Fear of the dentist is not something people simply overreact to. It is a legitimate mental health concern known as dental anxiety.

There is more to dental anxiety than just nervousness about going to the dentist. There is a reason behind it, and that reason lies in genetics.

How Genetics Play a Role in Fearing the Dentist

Does dental anxiety run in the family? Yes, it can, but the reasoning behind it is not what you might think. There is not a gene that passes from one generation to the next that makes people nervous at the sight of a dentist. Genes don't know what a dentist is.

What genes can do is affect the way people respond to sedation or numbing agents. Not everyone responds to drugs the same way because medication response has a great deal to do with how a person metabolizes them.

Some people metabolize drugs faster than others, which means the effects can wear off much more quickly. This is why some people require higher doses of medications to experience the same effect as someone else taking the same dose. When it comes to dental procedures, this can mean that some people experience pain during a procedure that should be painless, because the numbing agent wore off too quickly or was never fully effective to begin with.

Is Dental Anxiety Genetic or Learned?

When considering the above situation, many people might say that having a fear of the dentist is learned. However, it is more of a combination of genetics and learning.

People with certain mutations in the MC1R gene require a higher level of anesthetic to achieve true numbness. People with that gene mutation are therefore more likely to have a fear of the dentist, and that fear can be passed on from generation to generation, not through a "fear gene" but through the same MC1R mutation being inherited.

Genetics is not the only factor, though. If you have that gene mutation, you likely learned to fear the dentist because you felt pain during a dental procedure that should have been painless. If it were not for that experience, you might not be afraid at all.

So dental anxiety is both genetic and learned.

People With Red Hair Are More Likely to Fear the Dentist

People with red hair are more likely to carry the MC1R gene mutation that leads to needing a higher dose of novocaine or lidocaine. If they end up needing a painful dental procedure and the anesthetic wears off before it is complete, they are more likely to develop a lasting fear of the dentist. This fear can also be passed down to their children, who may inherit the same MC1R mutation.

What You Can Do About It

Understanding your genetics can help you and your healthcare providers make better decisions. Whole genome sequencing from Sequencing reads 100% of your DNA across over 30,000 genes, including pharmacogenomic variants that affect how your body metabolizes medications. This information can help your dentist and doctor determine the right dosage of anesthetics and other medications for your unique genetic makeup, avoiding undesirable or even dangerous side effects.

For parents: knowing whether your child carries the MC1R gene mutation can help their dentist take extra precautions with anesthesia from the very first visit.

Order your whole genome sequencing kit from Sequencing today or upload your existing DNA data for free to explore your pharmacogenomic profile and much more.