Local Anesthesia

After completing the course, you will be able to:

1. Define local anesthesia.
2. List 7 desirable properties of a local anesthetic.
3. Recognize and list various local anesthetics under respective classifications currently used in the United States.
4. Describe how vasoconstrictors work with local anesthetics.
5. Describe 3 qualities of vasoconstrictors for which they are used with local anesthetics.
6. List 3 factors which should be taken into account prior to selecting a local anesthetic for a particular procedure.
7. Identify various local anesthetic agents used in dental practice, their category, and the duration of action.
8. Describe the applications of the 5 most commonly‑used anesthetic agents in dentistry today.
9. Describe the following localized complications from local anesthesia:
   • Prolonged anesthesia or paresthesia
   • Trismus
   • Hematoma
   • Pain on injection
   • Needle breakage
   • Soft tissue injury
   • Facial nerve paralysis
   • Infection
   • Mucosal lesions
10. For each of the above complications, list measures a dentist can take to prevent and manage the complication.
11. Review the history of development of anesthetic agents with minimal toxic effects.
12. List 4 ways that lead to high blood concentration of anesthetic necessary to cause toxic overdose.
13. List 5 patient‑related factors that affect the inducement of toxicity in a patient.
14. Describe the toxic effects of local anesthesia on the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system.
15. Discuss the management of toxicity on the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system.
16. List the mild and progressive signs and symptoms of allergic reaction to local anesthesia.
17. Describe various steps in the treatment of allergic reaction to local anesthesia.
18. Compare electronic and local anesthesia in terms of comfort on administration and effectiveness as perceived by clinicians and patients.

To assess the effectiveness of the course material, we ask that you evaluate your achievement of each learning objective on a scale of A to D (A=excellent, B=good, C=fair, D=unsatisfactory). Please indicate your responses next to each learning objective and return it to us with your completed exam.