Comparative Efficacy of 20% Benzocaine Versus TAC Alternate Gel

Comparative Efficacy of 20% Benzocaine Versus TAC Alternate Gel for Control of Pain of Dental Needle Insertion in the Palate

The project is a study comparing the effectiveness of two topical anesthetics for control of pain associated with dental needle insertion in the palatal mucosa. A standard dental topical anesthetic (20% benzocaine) will serve as an "active" control and will be compared to a combination topical anesthetic, consisting of 20% lidocaine, 4% tetracaine and 2% phenylephrine (TAC Alternate Gel, Compounding Arts Pharmacy, Lafayette, LA).

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Volunteers 18 years or older
2. Ability to consent to participate in the research
3. Ability to communicate a VAS score
4. Generally healthy, ASA I and ASA II
5. No known drug allergies
6. Ability to tolerate pulse oximeter and blood pressure cuff without psychological, or physiological consequence

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Allergy or other contraindications to the topical anesthetics
2. Inability to consent to participation in the study
3. Use of analgesics prior to the procedure
4. Vulnerable populations