Setting up and maximising the usage of an Urgent Dental Care Centre in Blackpool. Sharing our experiences.

An integrated Urgent Dental Care Centre with Tier 2 Oral Surgery support was set up in Blackpool starting 24 March 2020. This was in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first month 1433 patients had telephone consultations and 713 extractions were performed.

Does articaine, rather than lidocaine, increase the risk of nerve damage when administered for inferior alveolar nerve blocks in patients undergoing local anaesthesia for dental treatment? A mini systematic review of the literature.

Aims: This mini systematic review seeks to analyse the available literature and determine if a 4% articaine solution poses a greater risk of inferior alveolar and/or lingual nerve damage compared to that of 2% lidocaine, when administered for an inferior alveolar nerve block.

Results: After a mini systematic review of the published literature, seven suitable studies were identified: one double-blind random controlled trial (DBRCT) and six retrospective cohort studies. The DBRCT and two of the cohort studies concluded that 4% articaine poses no greater risk of nerve damage.