Comparison of articaine and lidocaine in the pediatric population.

The purpose of this paper was to review the use of articaine in the pediatric dental population. Literature on use of articaine in comparison to lidocaine was reviewed. Many dental procedures on primary molars can be successfully accomplished with infiltration of articaine alone, which would significantly reduce the duration of soft tissue anesthesia, and subsequently may reduce the incidence of the undesirable post-treatment self-inflicted injuries associated with inferior alveolar nerve block (IAN). Articaine is well-tolerated and safe to use in the pediatric dental patient after 4 years of age.