ANAESTHESIA AT THE HEART OF THE DENTIST-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

A dentist who administers pain-free injections will retain the full confidence of his patients. This is because, frustrating as it may seem, pain, or rather freedom from it, is still and always will be one of the main criteria by which a dentist is judged.

It is true that a patient may be frightened of going into the dental surgery and, even more so, of submitting to injection of an anaesthetic. Nervousness may sometimes result in his postponing an appointment or even purely and simply cancelling it. As the success of his practice is at stake, the dentist has no choice other than to take this anxiety into account.

To be able to instil confidence and work in a calm atmosphere, he will want to create a comfortable and efficient ambience, which enables him to care for his patient well. To do this, he will, in particular, rely on the best materials and products.

Professional confidence in Septodont products

To use Septodont anaesthetics is, from the outset, to opt for the quality afforded by the world leader in dental anaesthesia. The group has gained the trust of health authorities and practitioners on a global scale, as reflected by the fact that the company manufactures and sells more than 500 million anaesthetic cartridges each year.

Septanest, the leading product in the range, is injected 4 times per second by dentists throughout the world.

A local anaesthetic with many strengths

A dentist with the patient’s interests at heart will choose to use a local anaesthetic which is latex-free, so as to avoid any allergic reaction, whether mild or severe. He will thus be able to treat his patient with confidence. The latest studies do indeed show that between 1 and 6% of the population may be sensitive to latex. As a responsible company which is concerned about the clinical use of its products, Septodont has, therefore, gone so far as to eliminate all contact with natural latex, not only for the injectable material but also in the whole process of cartridge production. The group employs synthetic materials only. With the same objective, its cartridges do not contain paraben. The single use nature of the product and the sealed packaging mean that the addition of such an antimicrobial agent is not necessary. The fact that sterilization is the final step in the manufacturing process is just as important. This method is considered as the « gold standard » by health authorities and ensures that the highest level of sterility is achieved. This step takes place after the cartridge has been filled and sealed, by contrast with the so-called aseptic filling method.

Everything that is needed to administer a successful anaesthetic

Every detail of the anaesthesia is important in instilling confidence in the patient. Each one plays its part in making this procedure one of high quality, thus avoiding any negative experience for the patient at the very time when trust in the dentist is being established.

There are multiple causes of pain during the administration of an anaesthetic but the speed and smoothness of the injection are paramount.

Thus, it is recommended that the rate of injection should not exceed one millilitre per minute and the delivery should be as smooth as possible. With this in mind, the Septodont teams seek to minimize resistance to the piston within the cartridge and produce smooth flow of the anaesthetic by paying particular attention to siliconization. Silicone is distributed homogeneously within the cylinder and over the whole length of the cartridge before this is filled. The silicone, heated to more than 300 degrees, coats the glass surface and facilitates the injection procedure. In addition, the blister pack around the cartridge protects the latter from the external environment for as long a time as possible. An anaesthetic is never a trivial matter either for the dentist or the patient.

Total expertise in anaesthesia

Septodont, present at each step of anaesthesia, offers a unique profile on the world stage. The group possesses expertise in every facet of the anaesthetic procedure. It provides the practitioner with everything required. Its range of anaesthetic products currently accounts for 75% of its turnover. The company has extended its expertise to the manufacture of needles, the quality of which is fundamental in the context of an anaesthetic procedure. To achieve this, its subsidiary in the south of France develops, manufactures and markets dental needles. Thus Septodont with its leading needle brands, Septoject and Septoject XL, provides the widest available range in the world. Septoject XL has a specific feature: it has a wider bore, which means that a lower pressure suffices during the injection process. Septoject Evolution is the most recent and unique innovation in terms of equipment.

The patented needle has a bevel in the shape of a scalpel.

This is highly effective and enters tissue by cutting rather than splitting it. Septoject Evolution therefore facilitates smooth, controlled and more precise needle insertion.

Along similar lines, Septodont has developed safe injection devices, Ultra Safety Plus, offering real protection from needle-stick injury for the practitioner and the team. Moreover, legislation has recently been enacted at a European level. The 2010 European directive, which should be adopted by each member state at local level, prohibits the practice of recapping. Septodont has worked steadily since 1991 to develop a system to avoid the risk of accident when handling contaminated needles. This system incorporates a transparent protective sheath and now sets the standard.

Finally, the anaesthetic products range also contains syringes and topical anaesthetics for application to numb the tissues before injection.