Introduction to dental local anaesthesia

Introduction to dental local anaesthesia
Session overview
Description
This session provides an overview of dental local anaesthesia. Much of the information will be revision of basic principles from undergraduate training. The session describes the techniques available to achieve local anaesthesia for dental procedures, and then goes on to demonstrate how local anaesthetic agents are classified and what their ideal properties are.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• define the term 'local anaesthesia'
• describe the techniques and equipment used in dental practice to achieve local anaesthesia
• list the ideal properties of local anaesthetic agents
• explain how local anaesthetic agents are classified

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should have a knowledge of head and neck anatomy in relation to nerve supplies and dental anaesthesia.

The principal function of local anaesthetics (LA) in dentistry is to control operative pain, such as during the restoration of teeth or in dental extractions.

Certain types of long acting local anaesthetics such as bupivacaine are used for the control of postoperative/post surgical pain, for example following the removal of impacted lower wisdom teeth.

They can also be used as a diagnostic tool and occasionally may be used for the symptomatic relief of orofacial pain, for example as a topical treatment for oral ulceration.

Local anaesthetics containing adrenaline are useful in the control of haemorrhage, for example during periodontal surgery.