A survey of local anesthetic usage in pediatric patients by Florida dentists

Local anesthetic toxicity in the child dental patient is a concern of the dental profession. A survey of 117 Florida dentists was conducted to determine their local anesthetic practices in treating children. Results indicated that a fifth of the respondents might use local anesthetic levels that could cause potential CNS toxicity in the smaller and younger children they treat. It is the responsibility of the dental profession to recognize the differences in treating this group of patients, and the serious consequences that might occur when maximum recommended levels of local anesthetic are exceeded.