Development of mucoadhesive tablets for anesthetic release in the buccal cavity

• Grant number: 12/08807-8
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy
• Principal Investigator: Osvaldo de Freitas
• Grantee: Talita Aona Mazotti
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The local anesthesia of the buccal cavity plays a crucial role in the majority of the dental procedures. The administration of anesthetics is usually done invasively, through painful injections. In most cases, this procedure scares away patients from clinics. The effective non-invasive administration of local anesthetics in the buccal cavity aimed at the replacement of painful injections would allow the upgrading of the rotine and surgical procedures. This is due to its affordability, patient submission, ease of application and lower risks of contamination and toxicity. However, the deep anesthetic of strategic areas of the buccal mucosa requires the penetration of anesthetic in effective amounts and in a suitable time. The extension of drug release and permeation can be, however, increased and modulated by using appropriate pharmacotechnical adjuvants and manufacture processes. This proposal aims at the rational development of mucoadhesive tablets for local/topic release of anesthetic drugs in the buccal cavity, based on Wowtab® technology, in order to replace the injectable local anesthesia in dental procedures. The formulations will be characterized physically and physico-chemically, and in vitro and ex vivo tests will be performed to assess the performance of them. Optimization statistical tools will be used for the selection of formulations with improved characteristics.