There are a number of anesthetic agents available in the market. The best anesthesia should be selected based on the onset of action and duration of action.
In this article we have listed out the anesthetic agents with their properties that are used in dental surgery. Some of them are:
Lidocaine: It is a first modern local anesthetic agent used in dental surgery. It is more potent and toxic than procaine. Onset of action is 1-2mins. Duration action depends on the place of administration. The drawback with lidocaine is, it causes vasodilation. It is used to block inferior alveolar nerve and is used for minor surgeries
Novocaine: It is an injectable local anesthetic. Today it is replaced with lidocaine as it is more potent. Onset of action is long and duration of action is less. If novocaine is used as anesthetic agent, the candidate may feel side effects of nausea, vomiting, allergic reactions.
Articaine: Articaine is a new injectable local anesthetic agent. It is not much used in dental surgery. It is used to block inferior alveolar nerve and is used to block lingual nerves.
Diazepams: Diazepams are general anesthetic agents and are available in oral and intravenous forms. This is best suitable for patients with seizures and anxiety disorders. It is contraindicated in pregnant woman. The drawbacks includes lack of coordination.
Halothane: It is an inhaled anesthetic agent. It provides smooth induction and recovery. Onset of action is rapid. It has a disadvantage of strong odor.
Isoflurane: It is an inhaled anesthetic agent. It has less duration of action compared to desflurane.
Nitrous oxide: Nitrous oxide is also called laughing gas. It is an inhaled anesthetic agent to reduce the excitement. It is mostly used in emergency cases. Alone it acts as local anesthetic and in combination with iv or inhaled anesthetics it acts as general anesthetic.
Sevoflurane: It is commonly used in tooth extraction and preferred in child surgery. It is more preferred compared to halothane as it has a pleasant odor and is non-irritant. The onset and of set action are fast.
Chloral hydrate solution: It is an oral sedative that can be taken through oral route. This is mostly used in children. Unlike other sedatives, it should not be used in combination with nitrous oxide which causes severe complications.
Prilocaine: It is same as lidocaine. The amount of dose administration, usage are also similar, but it is less toxic even in high concentrations compared to lidocaine.
Bupivicaine: It has a special role in dental surgeries. This is used in cases where long duration of anesthesia is necessary. It is used to control post operative pains.
