Awareness and Management of Local Anaesthetic Complications Among Undergraduate Dental Students: A Narrative Review
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Background: Local anaesthesia is fundamental to dental care, but its administration may cause local, neurological, ophthalmic, allergic, and systemic complications. Undergraduate dental students begin administering local anaesthetics while their technical ability and clinical judgement are still developing. Objective: To synthesise evidence regarding undergraduate dental students’ awareness of local anaesthetic complications, their knowledge and preparedness for managing these events, and the educational factors associated with clinical readiness. Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, journal repositories, and reference lists were searched using terms related to dental local anaesthesia, complications, undergraduate students, emergency management, and dental education. Cross-sectional surveys, educational studies, clinical reviews, case reports, and contextual evidence involving recent graduates were narratively synthesised. Results: The evidence indicated uneven knowledge across complication domains. Students were generally more familiar with common local complications than with maximum dose calculations, neurological and ophthalmic events, allergy differentiation, or local anaesthetic systemic toxicity. Management knowledge frequently appeared weaker than recognition knowledge. Seniority and clinical exposure were associated with greater confidence, although confidence did not consistently correspond to objective knowledge or competence. Simulation, case-based learning, repeated emergency training, and accessible emergency resources may strengthen preparedness. Conclusion: Undergraduate dental students demonstrate variable readiness to recognise and manage local anaesthetic complications. Curricula should integrate complication-focused teaching, objective scenario-based assessment, and repeated emergency-management training throughout clinical education
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