Comparison of topical anesthesia of 20% benzocaine and 60% lidocaine gel.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacies of 2 topical anesthetics commonly used in dentistry.

STUDY DESIGN: The alveolar mucosa of the upper incisor apices of 20 healthy male volunteers was applied for 20 minutes with either 20% benzocaine gel or nothing as a control. The second part of experiment was done with 60% lidocaine gel and vehicle as control. Three methods of stimulation were given, and the pain rating score and visual analog scale were measured after each stimulation.

RESULTS: Twenty percent benzocaine did not significantly alter pain perception as measured by the pain rating score and visual analog scale with these 3 methods of stimulation. In contrast, 60% lidocaine significantly reduced pain perception according to these measurements. We conclude that 60% lidocaine gel is effective for topical anesthesia before infiltration anesthesia.