How much local anesthesia is in a dental cartridge of 2% concentration (1.8 ml)?

To determine the amount of local anesthesia in a dental cartridge with a 2% concentration and a volume of 1.8 ml, it is essential to understand what a percentage concentration signifies in this context. A 2% solution means there are 2 grams of anesthetic for every 100 ml of solution.

First, convert grams to milligrams, which gives us 2000 mg of anesthetic in 100 ml. Next, to find out how much anesthetic is present in 1.8 ml, you can use a proportion:

• For 100 ml, there are 2000 mg.

• For 1.8 ml, the calculation would be (2000 mg / 100 ml) * 1.8 ml = 36 mg.

Thus, the dose of local anesthesia in the cartridge is 36 mg. This calculation directly supports the selection, confirming that for a 2% solution at 1.8 ml, the effective amount of local anesthetic is indeed 36 mg.