Local anesthetics dosage still a problem for most dentists: A survey of current knowledge and awareness

IntroductionLocal anesthetics are the most commonly used drugs in dentistry. Although they are considered effective and safe in controlling pain during dental procedures, complications related to their use appear inevitable. Many dentists use these drugs routinely but are unaware of the dose calculations required and the maximum safe and effective dose of the drug.Materials and methodsThe aim of this study was to determine the knowledge that general dental practitioners and dental specialists, in three different cities in Saudi Arabia, have regarding dose calculations and the maximum dose required of the most commonly used local anesthetics. A one page survey questionnaire was used in this study and data were analyzed using SPSS software.ResultsThe respondents comprised 51% general dental practitioners and 49% dental specialists, with ages ranging from 26–50 years; 58% of the total respondent was females and 42% males. A total of 69% of the respondents were unaware of the maximum recommended dose for use on adult, healthy patients and 85% were still confused about the maximum numbers of cartridges containing 2% lidocaine with adrenaline that can be given to a patient. A total of 53% of general dental practitioners and specialists do not perform aspiration when injecting local anesthetics, while only 43% performed the aspiration in inferior nerve block technique, while only 4% performed aspiration in all types of injection techniques. A high percentage of the dentists (87%) who responded are unaware of how to calculate the local anesthetic dose and 35% of them encountered complications during, or after, local anesthetic administration.ConclusionGeneral practitioners and dental specialists appear to have an inadequate knowledge about local anesthetics maximum-dose and dose calculations; further educational courses are recommended to update them regarding such important aspects of dentistry.