Phentolamine Mesylate is an Alpha Adrenergic blocker which is used in Dentistry as a Reversal agent for Local anesthesia. It helps in reversing unwanted prolonged Anesthesia or Numbness and aids in faster recovery from Local anesthesia effect after the Procedure is done. Phentolamine Mesylate is most commonly used in Hypertension as it helps in Vasodilation by decreasing peripherical vascular resistance.
Composition of Local anesthesia helps the Dentist achieve Numbness in the required region of the Oral cavity where the Dental Treatment is needed. But duration of local anesthesia numbness is prolonged and persists even after the Procedure is completed which can be very uncomfortable and quite unnecessary to the patient. So Phentolamine Mesylate is very useful in reversing the numbness and helping the patient feel comfortable post surgery. It is mainly useful when certain LA agents such as Bupivacaine are administered which have close to 175 minutes of Anesthetic Duration.
It is mainly used when Mandibular Nerve Blocks such as Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block, Mandibular Block or Vazirani Akinosi are administered leading to Lip and Tongue numbness. It can hinder normal functioning of the patient such as Drinking water, chewing and sometimes speaking as well. Patient can sometimes bite the lip and tongue while chewing leading to trauma due to prolonged numbness.
It is more useful in Medically compromised, Differently abled, Geriatric and Pediatric (above 6 years) patients who are more prone to accidental trauma due to biting of lip or tongue under numbness.
Dosage of Phentolamine Mesylate as Reversal of Local Anesthesia is 0.2 to 0.8 mg as specified by FDA.
Phentolamine mesylate is not an essential drug in Dental Treatments but it is used to improve patient comfort post surgical procedures by helping in faster recovery from anesthesia. As Dental Anesthesia is administered in many minor procedures (Mobile teeth extraction, Deep Scaling, etc) as well which do not require prolonged Anesthesia and the procedure is completed in just a few minutes. While is certain Surgical procedures such as Impactions, Dental Implant procedures, etc it requires prolonged anesthesia.
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