What is the difference between lidocaine and benzocaine?
Lidocaine and benzocaine are medicines that are used as local anesthetics. They share structural similarities and have similar means to act on the human body, but also have important differences. These drugs have somewhat different anesthetic and chemical properties that determine how suitable they are for use in different medical situations.
During orthodontic surgery, lidocaine and benzocaine, they are common elections to reduce drilling and other procedures. Studies have shown that the injections of both substances are approximately the same in alleviating the pain caused directly on the roof of the mouth. Lidocaine has been shown that in at least one study it is better in the anesthesia of the nerves in the roots of the teeth when provided by an injection compared to the treatment of local benzocaine gel.
Lidocaine and benzocaine are absorbed at slightly different speeds when applied locally. Benzocaine is somewhat less soluble than lidocaine, which means that the mouth spin is less easily when it is directly applied. About 35 pThe rocent of Lidocaine solution passes into the gums and other tissue in the mouth when applied as a gel.
These two drugs have somewhat different times. Lidocaine tends to show the effects of approximately three to four hours, which is suitable for somewhat more complicated operations than benzocaine, which has no effects that last for so long. However, benzocaine can be used for post-surgical relief from pain because it can be re-applied several times a day.
The similarities of lidocaine and benzocaine also include similar side effects. The most common side effects may include sting or sensitivity in the area where these drugs have been applied, although both drugs are usually well tolerated. Allergic reactions can occasionally lead to one or the other drug. However, they are structuralrally differ sufficiently that reactions to one drug usually do not mean allergy to another. This means that a patient who shows allergy to benzocaine maySafely use lidocaine.
More expected side effects are sometimes observed in lidocaine and benzocaine. One potentially life -threatening side effect is known as methemoglobinaemia. This health condition may occur in response to one medicine, but not to the other, in some patients. It requires immediate medical attention and can cause effects such as shortness of breath, blue or gray lips or mouth and light. These effects are caused by a decrease in the amount of oxygen carried in the blood.