New advances in local anesthesia

In dentistry, local pain management is a critical component of patient care. When efforts to achieve local anesthesia are unsuccessful, the resulting stress for both the patient and practitioner can be significant. This Forum has reviewed new technologies that are reported to increase the probability of a favorable outcome with local anesthesia. Like all new techniques, devices, and drugs, there is a learning curve that must be mastered. However, the potential benefits of the new devices and techniques available in local anesthesia broaden the practitioners' choices. There may not yet be a "magic bullet" in local anesthesia, but the advances reviewed here hold great promise. Our participants seem to agree that predictable local anesthesia will always require a thorough understanding of the broad range of devices, techniques, and drugs available and a commitment by the dentists to use them wisely.