Enhancing the effectivity of topical anaesthesia – new approaches, formulations and agents with the possible application in dentistry

Local surface anaesthesia consists in temporary blockade of neuronal conduction of free nerve endings of sensory nerves after topical application. It is an important, though often underestimated, element in preventing and combating pain in dentistry. It plays a crucial role in pre-injection anaesthesia, it can be used as the only type of local anaesthesia in some procedures and can be employed in a symptomatic treatment in the management of painful lesions of the oral mucosa. The article discusses the most promising attempts to increase the effectiveness of topical anaesthesia in dentistry, involving the application of new forms of preparations and systems. Other than commonly used drugs and agents that may be helpful in this procedure of dental treatment are also presented in the paper.