It’s been over one-hundred years since local
anesthesia was first introduced within the dental setting. Even better news is
that today’s dentists have more options than ever, allowing them to ensure
safety and comfort like never before for their patients. Furthermore, local
anesthesia is widely used among dental professionals, and that is why they are
well-trained to manage adverse reactions to anesthesia they provide in an emergency.
The main purpose
of using local anesthesia in dentistry
is to reduce discomfort and address varying levels of patient anxiety typically
associated with dental procedures. Local anesthesia is applied in one of three
ways: topical, injectable, and non-injectable.
Topical anesthetics are applied by swabbing special gel on the skin or
inside the mouth to relieve pain after an injection or a procedure. The gel or
patch consistently releases topical solutions into the soft tissues to reduce
discomfort. It desensitizes the mucous membrane at the site of injection, but
it does not anesthetize the deep gingiva, the tooth or the bone structure.
Injectable anesthetics
make use of a syringe and needle to administer a desensitizing solution that
will numb the affected surrounding area. The anesthetics help block pain
signals from being sent to the brain. The type (and amount) of anesthetic is
determined by the dental problem itself, the patient’s weight, his or her medical
history, and any other drugs present in the patient’s system that they may take
on a regular prescribed basis.
Non-injectable anesthetics are part of the new wave of pain management
that is minimally invasive, but effective enough to deliver a measured amount
of anesthesia to make deep cleanings or scaling and root planning procedures
more comfortable. The anesthetic is delivered by using a blunt-tipped
applicator that contains fast-acting topical anesthetic, and is directly applied
along the affected periodontal pockets.
With the presence of these three types
of local anesthesia available to dentists today (plus the introduction of new
products all the time), modern dentistry practitioners are able to offer their
patients the most comfortable experience for whatever procedure they need to
have done.