Letter: Heart-warming, too

Sir: The dental profession has long been regarded by some as playing second fiddle to medicine. Having read your article about making local anaesthetic injections less painful ('Pain-free injections', 15 September), I was not surprised when my first patient this morning (a consultant anaesthetist) asked, with a smile, if dental anaesthetics were warmed before injection.

It is common knowledge among dentists that local anaesthesia is more comfortable if the solution is warmed before use. To this end, some dental chair units are fitted with a warming compartment for anaesthetic cartridges. It is gratifying to know that dentists may be providing less painful injections than their medical colleagues - a view not generally shared by our patients.

Yours faithfully,

SIMON NORTHEAST

Department of Restorative

Dentistry

University of Sheffield

16 September