Two things reliably unsettle a nervous dental patient: the sting of the needle and the bitter taste that can follow certain injections.
“I have a pretty big pediatric population, and once I get patients calm and relaxed, the one thing I always lose them on is taste,” said Dr. Brad Kripke, a general dentist in Bexley, OH. “You can have the best injection technique in the world where they don't feel it, but the second they get a taste of the anesthetic, sometimes they really get upset. So when I found out that there was a version with flavoring agents, I thought, ‘It's perfect for my patients.’”
Kripke has switched almost exclusively to Flavalta for his pediatric patients, drawn to the flavoring agents that are commonly used as sweeteners and flavor enhancers. He also reaches for it when treating anxious adults.
Two things reliably unsettle a nervous dental patient: the sting of the needle and the bitter taste that can follow certain injections.
“I have a pretty big pediatric population, and once I get patients calm and relaxed, the one thing I always lose them on is taste,” said Dr. Brad Kripke, a general dentist in Bexley, OH. “You can have the best injection technique in the world where they don't feel it, but the second they get a taste of the anesthetic, sometimes they really get upset. So when I found out that there was a version with flavoring agents, I thought, ‘It's perfect for my patients.’”
Leaving a good taste behind
Kripke has switched almost exclusively to Flavalta for his pediatric patients, drawn to the flavoring agents that are commonly used as sweeteners and flavor enhancers. He also reaches for it when treating anxious adults.
Flavalta lidocaine hydrochloride 2% and epinephrine 1:100,000. The first and only lidocaine with flavoring agents.Septodont.
“So far, I've been really happy with it,” he continued. “It is definitely making a big difference and cutting that really bitter flavor that patients complain about.”
Buffering anesthetic adds another layer of comfort during injections.
“I already was buffering anesthetic for kids just to make the injection more comfortable, and with the addition of Flavalta, I've noticed patients just don't seem to react as strongly,” Kripke said.
He typically injects the buffered anesthetic and then leaves for hygiene checks, appreciating that when he returns to the room, the patient will be reliably numb.
Kid-tested and approved
Dr. Julia Richman sees nothing but pediatric patients at the aptly named Dino Kids Dentistry in Covington, WA. The board-certified pediatric dentist has always had success with Septodont products such as Biodentine XP, so trying Flavalta was a no-brainer -- especially since taste, not technique, was the sticking point.
“We started routinely buffering our local anesthetic, and we have such good results from it, but the No. 1 complaint about local anesthetic is the taste, and that's true regardless of buffering,” Richman explained.
Flavalta closed that gap, and it's been very well received.
“I find that a lot of kids with flavor aversion have really appreciated it,” she continued. “I keep asking patients, ‘Hey, what does it taste like?’”
And while the answers have been quite creative -- ranging from mint to marshmallow -- the bottom line is “Everybody says they like the flavor.”
What makes Flavalta different?
Septodont.
Flavalta gets its flavoring from two carefully chosen agents with the credentials to back them up: sodium saccharin and L-serine.
Sodium saccharin brings a long, proven pedigree -- it was first discovered in 1879 and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a food additive since 1977. Calorie-free and up to 700 times sweeter than table sugar, it is approved for use as a sugar substitute in beverages, fruit drinks, cooking and table use, and more.
L-serine, a nonessential amino acid, is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA as a nutrient, flavor enhancer, or flavoring agent in both food and drugs.
Meeting the need
For Richman, the case for trying Flavalta comes down to patient and parent comfort.
“If dentists are on the fence about buffering or trying Flavalta, they absolutely should put it to the test and see,” she advised. “They may be surprised at how much it improves the patient experience.”
“I just think if you know a product is going to make things more comfortable for your patients, then it's worth investing in, which is why I hopped right on board with Flavalta,” Kripke added. “My patients are going to get numb either way, so why not make the experience more comfortable for them?”
In fact, he looks forward to the day when anesthetic with flavoring agents might be the new standard of care: “My hope is that other dentists will share a similar response and Septodont will offer flavoring agents in all their anesthetics.”
