Mid-Continent Dental Congress - Greater St. Louis Dental Society Conference for Continuing Education

CE Credits: 3 hour lecture  |  Subject: Local Anesthesia |  Recommended for: Dentists, Hygienists

This lecture is for those who wish to expand their understanding of the pharmacologic mechanisms of local anesthesia and to solve some of the difficulties that arise in obtaining profound anesthesia in the oral cavity. How do local anesthetic agents work for dentistry, and why don’t they always work? Simple calculations for maximum safe dosage levels and possible contraindications and interactions of local anesthetic solutions with patient medical conditions and medications are presented. The controversy surrounding the use of articaine (Septocaine) and prilocaine (Citanest) for block anesthesia injections will be addressed, and management of possible complications and injuries related to the delivery of oral local anesthesia agents, such as hematoma, paresthesia, and trismus, will be discussed. A wide range of techniques will also be presented, including the Gow-Gates mandibular block and methods for addressing hot tooth/hot gums situations. Alternative anesthesia modalities, including topical anesthetic formulations, buffering and reversal agents, and more! This course combines the latest innovations in local anesthesia with the best of newer techniques for delivery.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the mechanisms and clinical importance of local anesthetic uptake and binding.
• Discuss advantages and disadvantages for use of the available local anesthetic agents with and without vasoconstrictor additives.
• Discuss potential adverse reactions to local anesthetics, such as syncope, allergy, and toxicity, and how to minimize the risk of adverse reactions.
• Have a thorough understanding of the pharmacology of available local anesthetic agents, including their advantages, disadvantages, and safety profiles.
• Be better able to assess and manage complications that may occur in the delivery of local anesthesia, and be better able to avoid them when possible.
• Discuss the science and effectiveness of anesthetic delivery techniques and a rational approach to selecting the best technique(s) for different patient care situations.
• Apply the latest anesthetic agent technology to their daily practice and describe the latest trends in achieving profound patient comfort.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Budenz is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California. He received his graduate degree in Anatomy from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his dental degree from the University of California, San Francisco. He has more than 40 years of private general practice and faculty practice experience in San Francisco, has served as a general dentistry clinical instructor, a clinical group practice administrator, and as Chair of the Department of Diagnostic and Emergency Services at Pacific. He has also taught anatomy courses at Pacific since 1984. He has lectured extensively, both nationally and internationally, on local anesthesia, oral medicine, cariology, and the anatomical basis of dentistry topics, and every year since 2005, he has been recognized as an Annual Leader in Continuing Dental Education by “Dentistry Today”.  Financial Relationship – none reported.