5 Local Anesthesia
When you have completed this chapter, you will be able to:
• List possible reactions to local anesthetics used in veterinary dentistry.
• Describe the use of bupivacaine in veterinary dentistry and list time of onset of activity and duration of action for this drug.
• State maximum volumes of local anesthetics that should be administered to dogs and cats.
• Describe the purpose and procedure for performing an infiltration block.
• Describe the purpose and procedure for performing a regional anesthetic block.
• List the four anatomic areas where regional anesthesia is performed before veterinary dental procedures.
Infiltration Blocks
Equipment
A 25- or 27-gauge needle and a disposable syringe (Figure 5-1, A) are needed. Alternatively, a dental local anesthesia syringe can be used (Figure 5-1, B).