Hypersensitivity to procaine, tetracaine, mepivacaine, and methylparaben: report of a case.

The patient who comes for dental treatment with a history of hypersensitivity to local anesthetics is often denied the benefits of adequate pain control during dental therapy. Ninety percent of the patients challenged by Incaudo and associates were being evaluated because they needed local anesthesia for dental treatment. These same patients may some day need local anesthetic agents for minor surgery or for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. For those cases in which an allergic reaction is suspected, consultation with an allergist may prove beneficial to the patient by providing information and a local anesthetic that the patient can receive safely for both medical and dental needs.