Dental clinics of North America
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True allergic reactions to local anesthetics are rare adverse reactions. At the most, they represent less than 1% of all adverse local anesthetic reactions. ⋯ In the event a potential allergic reaction occurs in a dental office, the dentist needs to properly evaluate the events leading up to the reaction and provide a differential diagnosis. A referral should be given to any patient when an allergic reaction cannot be ruled out as an intravascular injection, toxic overdose, psychogenic reaction, or an idiosyncratic event.
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Local anesthetics are commonly used in both dentistry and medicine. These drugs are also used in some office-based medical practices. ⋯ Both ester and amide local anesthetics are routinely used in medical practice. This article reviews the types and uses of local anesthesia in anesthesiology.
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Within the last 30 years, the role of dental hygienists has expanded to include the administration of local anesthesia. Several studies have been performed to assess practice characteristics and effectiveness of these changes in state licensure regulations. Findings indicate an acceptance of this expansion in dental hygiene practice; however, the delegation of this pain control procedures remains controversial. To address this controversy, the authors have reviewed of current literature to assess the practice of local anesthesia administration by dental hygienists.