Product Evaluation

GINGI-PAK

GINGICaine® Oral Anesthetic Gel in Syringe

A topical anesthetic gel in a pre-loaded syringe with a specially designed micro needle tip that will not poke or tear the sulcus

As Dr. Andrew Fundo points out, applying topical anesthetic gel from a jar is a messy job. The gel has to be smeared onto the gingiva, and dentists often end up anesthetizing too large of an area. When subgingival anesthesia is necessary, it’s hard to target a specific area with a glob of gel on the end of a cotton swab. That’s why Gingi-Pak decided to market their popular GINGICaine Oral Anesthetic Gel in a new convenient format — a pre-loaded syringe with a micro needle tip that delivers the anesthetic exactly where it’s needed.

After trying GINGICaine Oral Anesthetic Gel in Syringe for this DPS evaluation, Dr. Fundo discovered, “The dispensing syringe allows for easy placement of topical gel exactly where you want it, without having to smear with a [cotton swab]. It was so easy to place, especially for anesthetizing gingiva for prophy and scalings.” The dentists who evaluated GINGICaine in its syringe form were impressed with its painless delivery, precise placement, and anesthetizing ability.

Delivery with Micro Needle Tip and Pre-loaded Syringes

Each syringe contains 1.2 ml of GINGICaine gel that can be delivered directly into the sulcus with a unique micro needle tip to induce anesthesia right where it’s needed. The tip is specially designed to eliminate poking or tearing of tissue during delivery. Praising the convenient preloaded syringe, Dr. Fundo said the needle tip is a big advantage over other delivery methods because he is able to insert the gel subgingivally, especially in moderate to severe cases. “This is something that was not possible in the past with just a [cotton swab] and a jar of topical,” he added.

Calling it a great product with an excellent delivery system and a no-waste tip, Dr. Helen Lester said it’s a great way to avoid injecting when not needed, but she would like to be able to purchase extra tips if needed. “The needle tip is a great idea,” shared Hasan Khajah, DDS, who suggested an even smaller tip for some patients. Two dentists suggested larger syringes, and one said there was too much material in each syringe. For Dr. Hilary Dalton, the syringe delivery method was so easy to use that she said it resulted in less chair time and happy patients.

Viscosity, Ease of Placement, and Anesthetic Ability

GINGICaine oral anesthetic gel is just the right viscosity to stay in the site where it’s needed, reported Dr. Lester. “Other products seem wasteful, flowing all over, and don’t deliver the anesthetic where you need it easily.” Dr. Adam Beno agreed and shared, “I love its viscosity and how it stays where you put it.” Dr. H.E. Henry said the syringes allowed him to easily and precisely place anesthetic into the gingival sulcus for periodontal procedures.

The 20% benzocaine formula has a fast 15-second onset for safe and effective pain relief, according to Gingi-Pak. Dr. Beno praised its “very fast onset time,” and Dr. Lester said the ease of use and quick onset made her life easier. “I didn’t have to wait long for the product to work, and I could tell the patient was comfortable after applying the GINGICaine so I could do my job,” she explained. Dr. Alfred dela Cruz said his favorite feature was “easy, better anesthesia” that seemed to last longer than other materials, while Dr. Henry would like to see a “more profound, longer-lasting analgesia.”

Flavor and Patient Comfort

Dr. Kenneth Louie said his patients liked GINGICaine’s strawberry taste much more than his previous product, yet some mentioned a bitter aftertaste. “It tasted more pleasant,” shared Dr. dela Cruz, who believes his colleagues would probably switch to this product because of the taste alone. “It does such a nice job of staying in place, most of the time the patient never tastes it at all,” added Dr. Lester.

“Most patients appreciated the pain-free delivery,” shared Dr. Louie, and Dr. Karyn Halpern said it reduced the sensitivity experienced during prophylaxis. For Dr. Lester, GINGICaine did a great job of locally and topically anesthetizing, which enabled her to scale or smooth subgingival margins without pain. When used on patients with moderate to severe gingivitis, Dr. Fundo achieved great results using only this oral anesthetic gel for anesthesia. Dr. Beno concluded, “It has a very fast onset time and after placement allowed for more comfortable delivery of anesthesia as well as hygiene treatments.”

"[I liked its] pleasant taste and fast onset; the needle tip is a great idea."
-Hasan Khajah, DDS
Springfield Gardens, NY

Overall Satisfaction

GINGICaine oral anesthetic gel in syringes made the whole process much quicker, with less mess and less stress for both the patient and dentist, Dr. Fundo concluded. Dr. Kenneth Ingber, who found that patient acceptance was high, added, “This product is an effective addition to my dental practice’s armamentarium.” And Dr. Lester, who called it a “quick, less messy way to create a more comfortable dental experience for your patient,” said she would continue to use GINGICaine on a daily basis in her practice. “Rarely is there a product that seems to have worked all of the kinks out—this one has,” she concluded.

Takeaways

•Convenient pre-loaded syringes contain 1.2 ml of gel
•Unique mico needle tip eliminates poking or tearing of tissue during delivery
•Pleasant strawberry flavor with no aftertaste
•20% benzocaine formula has a fast 15-second onset for safe and effective pain relief
•Pain-free delivery allows for more comfortable injections and dental procedures