Achieving profound and effective local anesthesia is essential in clinical practice. It is a limiting step in most procedures; meaning invasive procedures cannot commence until it is successfully achieved. Despite the frequency that oral health providers (ie, dentists and hygienists) use local anesthetics during clinical practice, misconceptions remain. The goal of this presentation is to discuss several common `myths` surrounding local anesthesia while incorporating literature-supported learning issues.
Using a fun multimedia approach, this course will review and update local anesthetic techniques, equipment, and current research for all providers.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Discuss current local anesthetic market share in the US
- Review the basic pharmacology of local anesthetics
- Discuss common `myths` associated with local anesthesia including:
- Allergy to epinephrine
- pH and the impact on injection pain
- Does needle size make a difference?
- Does topical anesthesia actually decrease injection pain?
- Buffering of local anesthetics
- Which local anesthetics are safe during pregnancy and lactation?
- What is the latest on local anesthetic-related paresthesias?
- Review the latest armamentarium of local anesthetic delivery
- Learn tips, tricks, and pearls to maximize local anesthetic success