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TREATMENT OF HYPERSENSITIVE DENTINE 201

Local Anesthetics and Anodynes.
Novocain stands first as a local anesthetic to desensitize dentine.
The methods of using novocain for sensitive dentine are slow absorp-
tion and injection by pressure, in the tooth and hypodermically. (See
Chapter XLII.)
The Slow Absorption Method is best practiced by putting into
the cavity a one-sixth grain tablet of novocain; over this place a
pledget of cotton which has been moistened with the normal salt
solution, and proceed to fill tooth with stopping, seeing the cavity
again for excavation in twenty-four or forty-eight hours.
Pressure Anesthesia of the dentine may be accomplished in tAvo
general ways. The dentine should be thoroughly sterilized, the above
application of novocain in the normal salt solution made, over this
a piece of unvulcanized rubber placed, and all crowded into the
cavity with as much force as the patient will permit.
High Pressure Syringes are sometimes of service to simply de-
sensitize the dentine, but their use for this alone has never become
general practice, due to the danger of pulp infection.
Phenol (known to the laity as carbolic acid) is a valuable rem-
edy for hypersensitive dentine, as well as for materially lessening
the pain caused by the blast of air from the chip blower, and should
never be forgotten when the patient complains of the air causing
pain. In addition to coagulating the albumen in the tubuli it possesses
analgesic properties.
The Method of Using Phenol for sensitive dentine is to carefully
desiccate the dentine with alcohol and warm air, applying a pledget
of cotton saturated with the phenol, directing thereon a current of
warm air until the cotton is nearly or quite dry. This should be
repeated as often as the case demands.
Oil of Cloves is a valuable remedy in this respect and the method
of its use is the same as that just described for phenol.
Oil of Cloves and Phenol Combined, as tAvo parts phenol and one
part oil of cloves, applied to the dry open cavity and evaporated
therefrom, with the current of warm air, is more effective than either
the phenol or oil of cloves alone. This method with these agents
has to recommend it the fact of being a good means of sterilization,
it is a pulp pacifier in deep cavities, and no injury can reach the
pulp, provided the temperature of the current of warm air is not too
high.