The development of safe and effective local anesthetic agents has possibly been the most important advancement in dental science to occur in the last century. The agents currently available in dentistry are extremely safe and fulfill most of the characteristics of an ideal local anesthetic. These local anesthetic agents can be administered with minimal tissue irritation and with little likelihood of inducing allergic reactions. A variety of agents are available that provide rapid onset and adequate duration of surgical anesthesia. This introductory article provides a brief update of the clinical pharmacology of local anesthetic agents and formulations used in dentistry at present.
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