Usefulness of noninjectable anesthetic gel for intraperiodontal gingival retraction

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of local anesthesia using Oraqix for gingival retraction in 35 healthy adult patients. The median visual analogue scale value was 20.5 +/- 24.2 (range: 0 to 81) for pain encountered during the procedure. In most patients, a lower verbal rating scale value corresponded with a lower visual analogue scale value. More than 80% of the operators evaluated the procedure as simple to perform, and more than 65% considered it useful compared with conventional injectable anesthesia. The results suggest that Oraqix is an attractive alternative to injectable anesthesia generally performed for gingival retraction at dental clinics.