Anesthetic cartridge

A dental anesthetic cartridge is a glass cylinder that holds about 1.7 to 1.8 mL of anesthetic. It has a rubber stopper (plunger) at one end, and an aluminum cap with a thin rubber diaphragm at the other end where the needle goes in. The label shows the drug, strength and expiration date.

How to spot it

• Small glass tube with a rubber stopper at one end and an aluminum cap at the other.
• Printed label with the drug name; read the label every time instead of going by color.

What it is used for

• Loaded into the syringe; check the drug and expiration date with the dentist before loading.

Safety and care

• Single-use (disposable) item: use it on one patient, then throw it away. Never clean and reuse it.
• Do not use cartridges with large bubbles, cracks, rust on the cap or an extruded stopper.
• Used cartridges go in the sharps container or per your office's protocol; do not reuse on another patient.

Related

• Aspirating anesthetic syringe (breech-loading, harpoon type)
• Dental anesthetic needles (long and short)

Sources: New York City College of Technology (CUNY), DEN 2318. Lecture Session 10: Local Anesthesia Armamentarium, Malamed SF. Handbook of Local Anesthesia, 7th ed. Elsevier, 2020