Phentolamine Mesylate: An Antidote for Local Anesthesia; A Boon in Dentistry

Abstract

The most frequently administered drugs in dentistry are local anesthetics. Local anesthetics also represent the safest and the most effective drugs available in medicine for both the control and prevention of pain occurring during and following invasive procedures. These not only provide relief from pain during procedures but also leave an inconvenient residual numbness that takes some time to wear off following completion of dental procedures. OraVerse, an injectable formulation of phentolamine mesylate (PM), was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for reversal of anesthesia of the lip and tongue and associated functional deficits resulting from an intraoral sub-mucosal injection of a local anesthetic containing a vasoconstrictor. Phentolamine mesylate is a nonselective alpha-adrenergic-blocking agent which is used for the reversal of this soft-tissue local anesthesia. This drug adds a new dimension to the pain management armamentarium of dentists.

Keywords: Antidote, local anesthesia, dentistry