Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Topical Airway Anesthesia for Awake-endoscopic Intubation Using the Spray-as-you-go Technique with High Oxygen Flow
Published on: January 13, 2017
Articaine use in children among dental practitioners
Tegwyn H Brickhouse1, John H Unkel, Michael D Webb
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Va, USA. thbrickhouse@vcu.edu
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to examine local anesthetic selection and dentists' use of articaine in children.
Methods:
Using a cross-sectional survey design, a questionnaire regarding the use of local anesthetics in children was mailed to a random sample of dentists and all pediatric dentists from North Carolina and Virginia. The 16-item questionnaire included questions regarding the preferred local anesthetic used in children. The association between dental practitioner type and anesthetic use was tested using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test.
Results:
There was a 30% response rate. Lidocaine with epinephrine was the local anesthetic preferred overall by all practitioners. Approximately 50% of dentists surveyed reported using articaine in children. There were no significant differences in the preference of articaine between provider types with the exception of older, 7- to 10-year-old patients, where general dentists preferred articaine significantly more than pediatric dentists (28% vs 16%).
Conclusions:
While lidocaine with epinephrine was still the preferred local anesthetic for use in children, the use of articaine in children was prevalent among both general and pediatric dentists. The use of articaine became more prevalent as the patient's age increased.
Related Concept Videos
Local Anesthetics: Common Agents and Their Applications
Cocaine is an ester of benzoic acid and methylecgogine. It is used to anesthetize and vasoconstrict locally. Currently, it is used primarily for topical applications. It is beneficial for surgeries on the upper respiratory tract, providing anesthesia and shrinking the mucosa. Cocaine in the form of cocaine hydrochloride is...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Surface, Infiltration, and Conduction Block Anesthesia
Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses