Choice of anaesthetic broadens

In somewhat of a coup for dental distributor Dentavision, the company has successfully introduced a third brand of dental anaesthetic onto the Australian market. ATO Lidocaine 2%, manufactured in France under the Zizine brand, is now available in 2.2ml self-aspirating ampules from the company.

"Following the sale of the dental anaesthetics division of Astra Zeneca some time ago, there have only been two dental suppliers in Australia offering anaesthetic," said Dentavision CEO, Bob Young.

"At Dentavision, we recognise that our customers want a choice of products and introducing the first part of the Zizine range has been welcomed. We've already sold several hundred boxes in the first month alone and we are getting a lot of positive feedback about its use."

As a pharmaceutical product, dental anaesthetics undergo intense scrutiny by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to ensure the utmost quality before approval is given for release onto the market.

While a number of brands of dental anaesthetic are sold internationally, the long and expensive registration process and the fact that Australia utilises a 2.2ml ampule size (as opposed to the more popular 1.8ml) has prevented other entries onto the market.

"The Zizine range has been available in Europe for over 15 years," Mr Young said, "It's manufactured by the largest manufacturer of anaesthetic in Europe in a state-of-theart high-tech facility."