Scientists from the University of Sao Paulo studied how fever medicines given to children might affect tooth enamel. The findings, reported in scientific reports, raise questions about how fever management could influence dental development in youngsters.
Enamel defects form during specific windows in a child’s life when fevers are common. Nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as celecoxib and indomethacin are frequently used to reduce fever and ease inflammation by lowering prostaglandin and cyclooxygenase levels. While these actions help a child feel better, they may also play a role in shaping how enamel develops and mineralizes. The central question for researchers was whether these antipyretics could interfere with healthy enamel formation during early growth.
To investigate this, the team relied on mice as a model because their incisors continually grow and remodel. In the study, animals received celecoxib and indomethacin for 28 days. Visually, the teeth appeared normal, yet once the incisors began to be worn down, the teeth from treated animals broke more frequently than those from untreated ones.
Further chemical testing showed a disruption in the mineralization process. Enamel from the treated animals contained lower levels of calcium and phosphate, minerals essential for strong enamel. The researchers linked these changes to the drug actions that impaired the proteins responsible for enamel formation, suggesting a direct effect on the biological pathways that build enamel during tooth development.
At this stage, the results have not been confirmed in humans. If similar effects were observed in people, fever management guidelines for children might be revisited to balance comfort and safety with dental development. It is noteworthy that tetracycline, a once common antibiotic, has long been avoided in children because it can stain developing teeth. The new findings would add another layer to how clinicians weigh fever relief against potential dental risks.
Enamel hypomineralization and other enamel defects affect roughly one in five children worldwide. Dentists have reported a rise in these conditions, and long term projections suggest that affected children could require more frequent dental restorations later in life. Researchers emphasize the importance of further studies to confirm whether antipyretic medications contribute to developmental enamel defects and to identify safer fever management strategies for young patients.