Tetracaine lollipops for the suppression of extreme gag reflex in dental patients.

An extreme gag reflex renders prophylactic dental care and undergoing operative dental procedures impossible for many people. Commercially available oral spray and lozenge anesthetics have an unpleasant taste and provide an insufficient duration of anesthesia. Compounded flavored tetracaine lollipops are an excellent alternative to other oral anesthetics and have enabled the treatment of many patients who have a strong aversion to dental care. In this report, we describe the use of the preparation in such patients. A formulation for tetracaine lollipops 0.5% is included.