Obtaining Written Informed Consent for the Administration of Local Anesthetics in Dentistry in 2024, a 20-Year Follow-Up Study.

Objective: This study revisited data obtained in 2004 regarding whether dentists routinely obtain informed consent (IC) for the administration of local anesthetics and compared those findings with newer data obtained in 2024.

Methods: A previous survey from 2004 which utilized 3 questions including identification of provider type (generalist or specialist) and whether IC is always obtained for local anesthetic administration was replicated in 2024. While the 2004 survey was performed on paper, the 2024 survey was done via a brief oral interview. Both efforts were completed at the annual meetings of The American Dental Society of Anesthesiology (ADSA) in Las Vegas, NV.

Results: A total of 249 respondents opted to participate in the 2024 survey as compared with the 252 respondents from 2004. During the past 20 years, the number of dentists who reported always obtaining IC for the administration of local anesthetics appears to have increased significantly. A total of 196 (79%) of the 2024 participants reported always obtaining IC for local anesthesia compared with 158 (63%) in 2004. Except for dentists limiting their practice to anesthesiology, all other provider categories reported an increase in IC use from 2004 to 2024, and specialists still reported obtaining IC for local anesthesia more frequently than generalists.

Conclusion: The prevalence of including local anesthetic administration with the IC process is increasing in the profession. It is likely that generalists administer many more local anesthetics than specialists overall. The IC subject matter is too nuanced to recommend a single "yes or no" treatment plan as the standard of care for all clinical situations.