A Taste of Innovation: The Evolution of Dental Local Anesthesia

Learning objectives:

● Describe the historical development of dental local anesthetics and explain how advances in anesthetic chemistry have improved safety and clinical effectiveness.

● Compare the pharmacologic properties, indications, and limitations of commonly used local anesthetic agents, including lidocaine, articaine, mepivacaine, prilocaine, and bupivacaine.

● Discuss factors that influence anesthetic performance, including pH, lipid solubility, protein binding, vasodilatory activity, and the use of vasoconstrictors.

● Evaluate emerging innovations in local anesthesia, including buffering technologies and flavor-modified anesthetic formulations, and assess their potential impact on improving patient experience.