Development and clinical investigation of a new oral surface anesthetic for acute and chronic oral lesions

Abstract

Various solutions of antihistamines and dyclonine hydrochloride were compared with lidocaine hydrochloride as topical applications for relief of pain in patients with severe oral lesions. Preliminary screening indicated that dyclonine hydrochloride and lidocaine hydrochloride demonstrated excellent anesthetic qualities and that solutions of diphenhydramine hydrochloride produced mild anesthesia of prolonged duration. The combination of dyclonine hydrochloride and diphenhydramine hydrochloride in saline solution produced effective anesthesia in the lowest concentrations under study. Anesthesia persisted for periods of one to two hours in forty-four patients studied for periods ranging from seven to 540 days. One allergic reaction to 0.5 per cent dyclonine hydrochloride—0.5 per cent diphenhydramine hydrochloride solution was described. Self-administered, either applied with cotton-tipped applicators directly to the mucosal lesion or used as a mouthwash, a 0.5 per cent dyclonine hydrochloride—0.5 per cent diphenhydramine hydrochloride solution gave adequate to excellent relief from pain in most of the patients studied.