Articaine: a new alternative in dental hygiene pain control.

PURPOSE Local anesthesia administration is integral to pain control in dental hygiene. As of 2006, 40 licensing jurisdictions in the United States include local anesthesia administration in the scope of dental hygiene practice. While the risks associated with use of intraoral local anesthesia are not great, careful attention to recommended practices helps foster patient safety. As new products are introduced, it is important to study their advantages and limitations to see where they fit into dental hygiene practice. An amide local anesthetic agent, articaine, that has been available in Europe for over 20 years, was approved for US distribution in 2000. METHODS The purpose of this article is to review the current peer reviewed literature on the characteristics of articaine so it can be incorporated into dental hygiene practice when indicated. RESULTS Rather than simply using one agent for all procedures, patient care is enhanced when local anesthetics are selected based on the unique needs of the procedure, the patient and with safety and effectiveness in mind.