articaine
Pronunciation: AR-tih-kayn
A thiophene-ring-containing amide local anesthetic widely used in dentistry for its enhanced diffusion through soft and hard tissues.
Full Definition
Articaine is an amide-class local anesthetic unique among dental agents in that it contains both an amide linkage and an ester group on a thiophene ring, enabling superior tissue diffusion compared with lidocaine. It is available in 4% concentration, typically with epinephrine, and is preferred in many dental practices for buccal infiltration in the mandible—an area where other local anesthetics often require nerve block techniques. Editors working on pharmacology or formulary documents should note that articaine is spelled without a 'c' before the 'aine' suffix, distinguishing it from older agents such as procaine. Its enhanced potency increases the theoretical risk of neurotoxicity at high doses, a caution often noted in adverse-event reporting.
Usage
Usage note: The correct spelling is 'articaine' (not 'articane' or 'articaine HCL'—include the salt designation only when specifying a formulation, e.g., articaine hydrochloride).
In Context
- "The formulary listed articaine 4% with 1:100,000 epinephrine as the preferred agent for routine restorative procedures." — Dental clinic formulary document
- "The editor corrected the erroneous spelling 'articane' to the correct 'articaine' throughout the manuscript." — Copyediting a pharmacology review article