KNO3/benzocaine/tetracaine gel use for maintenance visit pain control.

A 35% potassium nitrate/20% benzocaine/10% tetracaine/aqueous hydroxyethyl cellulose gel was applied to the teeth and gingiva of 100 patients prior to hygienist-administered maintenance treatments. The application effectively anesthetized the teeth and gingiva so that these maintenance treatments could be performed routinely with genuine patient comfort. As a control in this double-blind study, 100 patients received hydroxyethyl cellulose without the active agents. All patients were volunteers and chosen at random.