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Inside Dentistry
July 2020
Volume 16, Issue 7

Buffered Anesthetic Is More Important Than Ever

The Anutra Local Anesthetic Delivery System® facilitates CDC’s guideline to remain with one patient, reducing the need to change PPE

Diwakar Kinra, DDS, MS, and Richard Rosenblatt, DMD, are forward-thinking dentists who place an emphasis on providing their patients with an efficient, comfortable experience. Before this year, both had already identified the inefficiency of anesthetizing one patient, meeting with another patient while the anesthetic takes effect, and then going back to the initial patient to perform the procedure. What they did not know was how forward-thinking that actually was.

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a new world of infection control in dental officesone that makes leaving a patient mid-visit relatively impractical. The use of additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and precautionary infection control protocols has put a strain on dental offices, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated Guidance for Dental Settings emphasizes that dental healthcare professionals should limit clinical care to one patient at a time whenever possible. Kinra, an endodontist in Flint, Michigan, and Rosenblatt, a general dentist in Lake Forest, Illinois, continued to perform emergency procedures during their states' shutdowns, so they saw the impact immediately.

"The way we are practicing has changed tremendously," Kinra says. "The amount of PPE that we are required to use is not conducive to taking a break from one patient to see another patient. It is just not the way we are practicing right now."

Rosenblatt adds, "Especially with the COVID-19 crisis, we need to be able to stay in one room and maximize the amount of work that we can do as efficiently as possible."

Fortunately for both Kinra and Rosenblatt, they use the Anutra Local Anesthetic Delivery System® from Anutra Medical. The system, which features the Anutra Dispenser®, Anutra Cassette®, and Anutra Syringe®, transforms the way that local anesthetics are buffered and delivered to patients.

Kinra began using the system because, as a specialist, he values every opportunity to strengthen his rapport with his patients, some of whom he rarely sees, and staying with them throughout their visit helps him to do that.

"I anesthetize the patient, and by the time I get through the briefing about what to expect regarding the procedure and postoperative treatment, we are ready to go," Kinra says.

Rosenblatt's primary reason for adopting the system was simply to eliminate the inefficiencies of moving between operatories so often.

"I needed patients to become numb quickly to avoid slowing down appointments," Rosenblatt says. "Especially when you are doing a lot of mandibular work, you are sometimes waiting 6 to 10 minutes for a block. I want to be able to start working on the maxillary teeth right away and the mandibular teeth within 2 minutes or less."

According to Rosenblatt, the delivery mechanism is another advantage of the Anutra system. The system allows the dentist to measure out precise doses for each patient by just twisting a knob.

"The disposable syringes hold approximately 6 ml of solution, so if I am working on multiple maxillary teeth and want to use more anesthetic, I do not need to change carpules as I would with a typical syringe," Rosenblatt says. "Conversely, if I do not want to use a full carpule, I can save the excess anesthetic. I can monitor what I want to use and have the freedom to determine a specific dosage for every patient."

The Anutra Local Anesthetic Delivery System also features a small footprint and ergonomic design, and Kinra touts its ease of use.

"It is not the only product on the market for buffering anesthetic, but it is the easiest to use," Kinra says. "I like Anutra because it is what I consider foolproof. One common mistake that dentists make with buffered anesthetic is buffering it too far ahead of the time of delivery. The buffered anesthetic needs to be used quite immediately after it is withdrawn, and this is what Anutra allows you to dowithdraw the anesthetic, and use it almost instantaneously."

Kinra also notes the patient comfort factor that is involved with the use of buffered anesthetics.

"Traditional anesthetic hurts for two reasons: the acidity of the anesthetic and the quickness of the injection," Kinra says. "Buffered anesthetic has a much more neutral pH and is injected at a slower rate of 60 seconds per 2-mL carpule, which provides a very comfortably delivery."

After delivery, the dentist can start the procedure within minutes, and not leaving the room means that the same PPE and other infection control elements can be kept in place.

"Anutra allows us to get our patients numb and know that by the time we have everything ready, we can almost turn around and start working on them within 60 seconds," Rosenblatt says. "This is a new era, and the efficiency of the Anutra Local Anesthetic Delivery System is more important than ever."

Key Takeaways

Fast-acting buffered anesthetic facilitates remaining with the patient after injection, avoiding the unnecessary doffing and donning of costly PPE.

The innovative syringe permits multiple injections without having to reload a cartridge or waste anesthetic.

Training and implementation are simple and easy.

The profound anesthesia achieved by buffered anesthetic allows clinicians to use less.

Manufacturer Information
Anutra Medical
anutramedical.com 
844-268-8721

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