Waiting Room: Gentler Novocain injections

New York Daily News   6/16/2004

Those scary trips to the dentist often mean a Novocain injection, but now it can be pain-free. Milestone Scientific's CompuDent Wand injector - which looks more like a ballpoint pen than a menacing syringe - delivers a small drop of anesthesia prior to insertion and uses a computer to regulate needle pressure. "It controls the flow of drug into the body," says Milestone founder and CEO Leonard Osser, who is quick to point out that his main competition is "the hypodermic needle - which is 150 years old."

The Wand is most commonly used in a single-tooth injection, which Osser says can prevent additional parts of the mouth and tongue from going numb. Future epidural use could also mean no more general anesthesia for certain types of surgery.

Does the Wand work? "I use it for every procedure in my practice," says Dr. Jan Linhart, a midtown restorative dentist. "It looks less threatening, especially to children, and it's easier to handle than a conventional syringe." Maybe it's time to find a dentist who can get you comfortably numb.