Long-acting local anesthetics in oral surgery: an experimental evaluation of bupivacaine and etidocaine for oral infiltration anesthesia.

The effect of bupivacaine 7.5 mg/ml with epinephrine 5μg/ml, etidocaine 15 mg/ml with epinephrine 5 μg/ml, and lidocaine 20 mg/ml with epinephrine 12.5 μg/ml was studied when used for oral infiltration anesthesia. Twenty healthy volunteers took part in the experimental and double-blind study. One ml of the respective anesthetic solution was deposited supraperiosteally in the apical area of the maxillary right lateral incisor. Onset time, frequency of analgesia, gingival spread, and duration of tooth analgesia were studied and duration of soft-tissue numbness registered. The present investigation showed that lidocaine had a shorter onset time compared with bupivacaine. No difference with regard to frequency was found. Bupivacaine and etidocaine had a longer period of soft-tissue numbness, but a significantly shorter duration of tooth analgesia than lidocaine.