PRODUCT:
Lidocaine Ointment USP, 5%

SOURCE:
Septodont, Inc.
Lancaster, Pa.
800-872-8305 • septodontusa.com

It’s a common occurrence for patients going through scaling and root-planing procedures to require local anesthetic before our hygienists can get at the hard-to-reach subgingival periodontal pockets. Frequently, my hygienist will begin by applying Lidocaine Ointment USP, 5%, the efficacy of which has more often than not allowed her to finish a quadrant of scaling without necessitating an injection of local anesthetic at all. I’m always surprised by how well this ointment works, and after being introduced to it by my hygienist and the positive feedback we’ve received from our hygiene patients, I’ve incorporated it into my clinical practice. After all, patients’ opinions of their dentist’s and hygienist’s proficiency are commonly based on the quality of anesthesia provided. As an amide-based topical anesthetic, this ointment provides topical analgesia to the oral mucosa before anesthetic injection. As compared to the ether-based topical anesthetics such as benzocaine, lidocaine can be more potent and provide a comfortable patient experience.