Anesthetic Effectiveness of Lidocaine Versus Articaine in Dentistry

Anesthetic Effectiveness of Lidocaine Versus Articaine in Dentistry. A Randomized Clinical Trial

Context: Lidocaine and articaine are two of the most commonly used local anesthetics in dentistry. Lidocaine has often been the anesthetic of choice in clinical practice, but in clinical experience, articaine has proven to be more effective in controlling pain during dental procedures. (Camps-Font, O. et al. 2020).

There are still unanswered questions, such as which of the two local anesthetics is more effective in reducing pain? This could lead us to discuss which one to choose to reduce costs in the dental office.

Objective: The objective of this project is to determine and compare the effectiveness of lidocaine and articaine in clinical contexts such as tooth extraction with infiltrative techniques, seeking to provide answers that will optimize the choice of anesthetic based on the patient and the procedure, thus improving pain management and reducing costs in the dental office.

Design: Randomized double-blind experimental study, parallel groups. The control group received 2% lidocaine, and the experimental group received 4% articaine. The study will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT 2010). The probabilistic sampling technique is through simple randomization. The 100 patients who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly assigned to the control and experimental groups in a 1:1 ratio.

Expected results: articaine shows a lower percentage of extractions with anesthetic reinforcement and, therefore, a lower average number of additional tubes.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Dental Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: lidocaine + epinephrine 1:100,000; Drug: Articaine 4% with epinephrine 1:100,000

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 100
• Phase: Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Natalia A Curín, Student; Phone Number: +56947029930; Email: natalia.curin@alumnos.uach.cl
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Camila A Henriquez, Student; Phone Number: +56954911248; Email: camilantonia.12345@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Chile
  • Los Ríos Region
    • Valdivia, Los Ríos Region, Chile, 5090000
      • CESFAM Dr. Jorge Sabat

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with clinical indications for simple extraction of upper and lower teeth using infiltrative anesthetic techniques.
• Patients without systemic diseases (ASA I)
• Patients with controlled systemic disease (ASA II)
• Patients with no history of hypersensitivity to anesthetics or their components (epinephrine)
• Patients with stable periodontal condition, without active infection that could affect the diffusion of the anesthetic.
• Patients with the ability to understand the procedure and provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with uncontrolled systemic diseases ASA III and pregnant patients.
• Patients requiring trunk techniques (Gow gates, Spix, Carrea)
• Patients taking medication that affects the anesthetic response (tricyclic antidepressants, anticoagulants)
• Patients with a history of neurological or psychiatric disorders that may influence the perception of pain or anxiety.
• Patients with anatomical abnormalities in the orofacial region that interfere with the administration or action of anesthesia.
• Patients with a history of recent substance abuse.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Lidocaine; Participant in this group will receive lidocaine as a local anesthetic during dental procedures.	Drug: lidocaine + epinephrine 1:100,000; Administration of lidocaine as a local anesthetic during dental extraction.
Experimental: Articaine; Participant in this group will receive articaine as a local anesthetic during dental procedures.	Drug: Articaine 4% with epinephrine 1:100,000; Administration of articaine as a local anesthetic during dental extraction.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of tubes	continuous quantitative variable	immediately after the procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain during dislocation using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain with a minimum of 0 meaning no pain, and a maximum of 10 meaning the most severe pain ever experienced in life.	Continuous quantitative variable	After the procedure

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Age	Continuous quantitative variable.	immediately after the procedure
Sex	Nominal qualitative variable.	Immediately after the procedure.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad Austral de Chile
• Investigators: Study Director: Juan E Kunstmann, Dr. Dental Surgeon Dentistry, Universidad Austral de Chile

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Halabi D, Escobar J, Alvarado C, Martinez N, Munoz C. Chlorhexidine for prevention of alveolar osteitis: a randomised clinical trial. J Appl Oral Sci. 2018;26:e20170245. doi: 10.1590/1678-7757-2017-0245. Epub 2018 May 7.

Helpful Links

• Document that describes in detail the objectives, methodology, and procedures of the clinical trial.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): December 20, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 25, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 25, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 27, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 14, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): November 17, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 17, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 14, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: nerve block; pain measurement; comparative study; anesthesia infiltration; exodontics
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Stomatognathic Diseases; Tooth Diseases; Facial Pain; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Toothache; Sulfur Compounds; Organic Chemicals; Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring; Heterocyclic Compounds; Hydrocarbons; Hydrocarbons, Cyclic; Hydrocarbons, Aromatic; Anilides; Amides; Aniline Compounds; Amines; Acetanilides; Catechols; Phenols; Benzene Derivatives; Alcohols; Amino Alcohols; Ethanolamines; Thiophenes; Biogenic Monoamines; Biogenic Amines; Catecholamines; Lidocaine; Epinephrine; Carticaine
• Other Study ID Numbers: ArtiVsLido

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified individual participant data (IPD) collected during the trial, including demographic information, medical history relevant to the inclusion/exclusion criteria, type of anesthetic administered, and study outcome measures, will be available for secondary analyses.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No