Clinical efficacy of tetracaine anesthetic paste.

Benzocaine, the most commonly used topical anesthetic in dentistry, often fails to eliminate the pain associated with injections. One type of anesthetic used frequently in medicine with success is tetracaine, but minimal research has been done regarding the application of tetracaine in dentistry. This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of tetracaine anesthetic paste (TAP), a newly formulated topical anesthetic. For this study, TAP was applied to the maxillary mucobuccal fold of one side of the arch and benzocaine paste was applied to the opposite side prior to injection of anesthetic. Patients then reported the level of pain experienced on each side and were evaluated for any adverse reactions. The results showed no difference in effectiveness between TAP and benzocaine paste, and no adverse reactions were reported. Because of the safety and effectiveness of tetracaine extraorally, further research is warranted on its intraoral use.

A prospective, multicenter, randomized-controlled 5-year study of hybrid and fully etched implants for the incidence of peri-implantitis.

BACKGROUND: The dual acid-etched (DAE) implant was commercially introduced in 1996 with a hybrid design incorporating a machined surface in the coronal region from approximately the third thread to the seating surface. This design was intended to reduce the risks of peri-implantitis and other related soft tissue complications that were reported for implants with surface roughness in the coronal region. The objective of this prospective, randomized-controlled clinical trial was to determine the incidence of peri-implantitis for a fully etched implant with the DAE surface extending to the implant platform. METHODS: Patients had implant sites randomly assigned to receive one hybrid control implant and at least one fully etched test implant in support of a short-span fixed restoration to ensure that variables (e.g., demographics, jaw locations, and bone density) were consistent between groups. Prostheses were inserted 2 months after implant placement with follow-up evaluations scheduled annually for 5 years to assess mucosal health based on bleeding on probing, suppuration, and probing depths. Evaluations also included radiographic and mobility assessments. RESULTS: One hundred twelve patients who were enrolled at seven centers received 139 control and 165 test implants (total: 304 implants). With >5 years of postloading evaluations, there was one declaration of peri-implantitis associated with a control implant that was successfully treated later. Clinical probing and radiographic assessments did not reveal differences between groups in mucosal health outcomes or other signs of peri-implantitis. CONCLUSION: Five-year results of this randomized-controlled study showed no increased risk of peri-implantitis for fully etched implants compared to hybrid-designed implants.