Buffering, Simplified

For pediatric dentist Dr. Julia Richman, the benefits of buffering her local anesthetic are clear.

"I definitely notice it's less pinchy, less stingy, and we often have anxious kids who do much better or don't even feel the injection at all," she said. "It also makes it work a little bit more quickly and effectively. So, we fi nd that we don't have to use as much local anesthetic."

Just as important for a busy pediatric or general practice is how easily buffering fits into the daily treatment workflow.

"For us, we've got buffering down pat, and BufferPro makes it a lot easier than it used to be because you can inject the solution directly into the cartridge and it's premeasured out," she said.

That's a marked change from how she used to go about buffering—buying the IV formulation of sodium bicarbonate, measuring it out using sterile technique, and injecting it directly into each syringe. "It took quite a long time," she said. "This is by far easier, and I'm glad Septodont came up with it."

How It Works

BufferPro offers a 1-step, elegant solution for buffering local anesthetic injections. Each premeasured, single-use capsule dispenses 0.1 mL of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate directly into a dental anesthetic cartridge, raising the pH of the anesthetic solution close to physiologic levels. 

Sterile packaging helps avoid cross-contamination and preserve shelf life, and according to Septodont, BufferPro also comes at a low cost per injection. No measuring, mixing, or accessories are needed.

Just One Easy Step

The system's ease of use quickly won over Ohio general dentist Dr. Brad Kripke, who had never buffered anesthetic before.

"The systems always seem kind of confusing, so I liked how easy the BufferPro system was, and so far, it's been really good," he said.

Like Dr. Richman, Dr. Kripke sees the biggest difference with anxious patients.

"I don't buffer for every patient, but I think that if they're more anxious, it does make the injection more comfortable," Dr. Kripke explained. "I can confidently return to the room and know that the patient will be numb, especially if the patient has an abscess or if I'm doing an inferior alveolar nerve block, which might take a little bit longer.”