Amy Dukoff
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 ODAY, accommodating a patient’s hectic schedule is paramount! Servicing the patient includes understanding the physical limitations of the anesthetic that may result from the dental procedure . . . and the effect of the anesthesia on the patient’s activities and responsibilities. When the patient leaves the office numb, the effects of lingering anesthesia can impair the patient’s ability to function. Pheptolamine mesylate, or OraVerse (from Novalar), can be given to reverse the effects of soft-tissue anesthesia, thereby shortening the duration of post-operative numbness.
Pulpal anesthesia is needed for numerous dental procedures; however, lingering soft-tissue anesthesia is not. Residual soft-tissue anesthesia can endure for many hours past the pulpal anesthesia needed for the procedure. When lidocaine with a vasoconstrictor is dispensed, soft-tissue anesthesia may persist for as long as five or six hours after pulpal anesthesia. If 3 percent mepivacaine is dispensed, the soft tissue may have residual numbness after pulpal anesthesia lasting for one to two hours. The lingering numbness can be a hindrance to the patient’s normal functioning. The numbness may be an impediment for the patient at work if the job encompasses public speaking, conferences, direct verbal communication, or similar demands. In today’s fast-paced world, patients need to return to their normal activities quickly and easily. The easier the dentist makes the transition from the dental office to the workplace, the more the dentist facilitates the patient’s ability to include the dental treatment visit in the daily routine.
Phentolamine mesylate, or OraVerse, is available in the dose of 0.4 mg phentolamine mesylate in a 1.7 ml solution. It is supplied in a dental cartridge for ease of use. The same technique used to gain anesthesia is used for reversing the post-operative residual numbness. The cartridges of phentolamine mesylate are administered after the dental procedure, through a syringe, at the site where the local anesthetic was administered. The dentist is now able to offer OraVerse as part of the treatment to minimize the unwanted side effects of prolonged soft-tissue anesthesia.
OraVerse is easy for the practitioner to use. It is an adjunct to the armamentarium for the dental office. This new drug enables the dentist to offer the patient an option for relieving the unwanted symptoms of prolonged soft-tissue anesthesia that can interfere with routine activities.
January - March 2009
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The dentist is now able to offer the patient relief from the unwanted symptoms of prolonged soft-tissue anesthesia.
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