With the clinical introduction of lidocaine in 1948, a new class of local anesthetic agents, the amides, quickly became popular. In the ensuing years this group of drugs has, for all intents and purposes replaced esters as the drugs of choice for pain control. These agents, either as a plain solution or in combination with a vasoactive substance, usually epinephrine, provide wide range of clinical activity. The current article discusses the current and future trends in the realm of drugs available as anesthetics.
Current Trends Current trends in the use of local anesthetics in dentistry indicate that most anesthetists require three agents in practice. Short-duration drug is used for the management of most children, geriatric patients and for medically compromised but still treatable patients. Intermediate duration acting provides pulpal anesthesia for periods of up to 1 hr, the…
