出版社：Grupo de Pesquisa Metodologias em Ensino e Aprendizagem em Ciências
摘要：Local anesthesia is commonly used in dentistry to perform procedures that involve pain. Currently available local anesthetics belong to the amide group and act by temporarily blocking the passage of nerve impulses. Articaine, despite being a relatively new anesthetic compared to others, has been widely used, showing several clinical benefits; however, it is a drug commonly associated with episodes of non-surgical paresthesia. The aim of this study was to review the literature on the use of articaine in dentistry, highlighting its clinical and molecular characteristics and possible complications arising from its use. The present work was carried out through a bibliographical research of scientific articles and books on the subject, seeking to know the supposed advantages and disadvantages of the use of articaine in dental procedures. Regarding the advantages, it has a high capacity to diffuse into the nerve cell, which allows for high success rates and short latency, in addition to a short half-life and longer duration of action, compared to the others local anesthetics. With regard to the supposed disadvantages, articaine has been commonly associated with an increased risk of non-surgical paresthesia, probably due to the higher concentration in which it is marketed, at 4%. However, there is not enough evidence to confirm this relationship nor to refute it. It was possible to conclude that articaine is an effective and safe local anesthetic for use in the dental clinic, with some advantages over other commonly used local anesthetics.
