Articaine (ATC)

Articaine is a dental local anesthetic. The amide structure of articaine is similar to that of other local anesthetics, but its molecular structure differs through the presence of a thiophene ring instead of a benzene ring. Articaine is exceptional because it contains an additional ester group that is metabolized by estearases in blood and tissue. Articaine is used for pain control. Like other local anesthetic drugs, articaine causes a transient and completely reversible state of anesthesia during procedures. In dentistry, articaine is used both for infiltration and block injections, with the block technique yielding the greatest duration of anesthesia. In people with hypokalemic sensory overstimulation, lidocaine is not very effective, but articaine works well. Paresthesia, a short to long-term numbness or altered sensation affecting a nerve, is a well-known complication of injectable local anesthetics and has been present even before articaine was available.