Tag: Ester vs amide anesthetics

Based on relative potency values, tetracaine is considered more potent than lidocaine, with ratios cited as 10 for tetracaine versus 4 for lidocaine. The question, 'Is tetracaine stronger than lidocaine?', requires an examination of factors beyond simple potency, including onset time, duration, and specific application methods.

By the 1980s, the once-common anesthetic known as Novocaine (or its generic name, procaine) was rarely used by dentists, having been replaced by more effective and safer alternatives. While the name has persisted in popular culture as a catch-all term for dental numbing agents, the substance itself has been largely relegated to a historical footnote in modern dental medicine.