Benzocaine

Mechanism-of-action class: Sodium Channel Interactions.

• Use For oral mucosal use only, as directed by dentist. For the temporary relief of pain due to minor dental procedures.

Directions Apply only amount needed to the oral mucosa to prevent or relieve pain. children under 2 years of age: do not use

Methemoglobinemia warning: Use of this product may cause methemoglobinemia, a serious condition that must be treated promptly because it reduces the amount of oxygen carried in the blood. This can occur even if you have used this product before. Stop use and seek immediate medical attention if you or a child in your care develops: pale, gray or blue colored skin (cyanosis) headache rapid heart rate shortness of breath dizziness or lightheadedness fatigue or lack of energy Allergy Alert : Do not use on patients with a history of allergies to local anesthetics such as procaine, butacaine, benzocaine or other "caine" anesthetics. Do not use for more than 7 days unless directed by a physician. If sore mouth symptoms do not improve in 7 days; irritation, pain or redness persists or worsens; or if swelling, rash or fever develops, see your physician promptly. for teething in children under 2 years of age When using this product Avoid contact with eyes. If contact occurs, flush with water. Do not exceed recommended dosage. If more than used for pain is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away. If pregnant or breast feeding, ask a physician before use.

Recent PubMed references pinned to Benzocaine as a MeSH major topic. Citations link to pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

• Prolonging ejaculatory latency with benzocaine paste-containing natural rubber latex condoms: findings from a randomized, three-way, cross-over study.
  The journal of sexual medicine · 2026 · Coupland CA, Su L, McGirr MEA, et al.
  PMID 42153745DOI 10.1093/jsxmed/qdag134
• Stability Evaluation of Compounded Benzocaine, Lidocaine, and Tetracaine in VersaPro™ Cream Base.
  International journal of pharmaceutical compounding · 2026 · Friciu M, Benzina O, Hunt K, et al.
  PMID 42143784
• Drug-induced methemoglobinemia in a child with comorbidity and polypragmasia: Case report.
  The International journal of risk & safety in medicine · 2026 · Strok AB, Kostyleva MN, Kostina AV, et al.
  PMID 41995267DOI 10.1177/09246479251405948
• Microneedle patch-enhanced palatal anesthesia with benzocaine: Efficacy and safety in a randomized double-blind crossover trial.
  Drug discoveries & therapeutics · 2026 · Kiriishi K, Ayuse T, Tanoue N, et al.
  PMID 41672509DOI 10.5582/ddt.2025.01133
• Beating-wave analysis of small-angle X-ray scattering of unilamellar liposomes loaded with model drug Benzocaine.
  Nanoscale · 2025 · Baraldi L, Alfarano SR, Sousa F, et al.
  PMID 41126783DOI 10.1039/d5nr01468a
• Characteristics and functional bacteria of an efficient benzocaine-mineralizing bacterial consortium.
  Journal of hazardous materials · 2024 · Huang J, Yang C, Zhang X, et al.
  PMID 39270583DOI 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135773
• Fresh Carrier for an Old Topical Local Anesthetic: Benzocaine in Nanostructured Lipid Carriers.
  ACS biomaterials science & engineering · 2024 · Souza AD, Rodrigues da Silva GH, Ribeiro LNM, et al.
  PMID 39074333DOI 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00585
• Novel Microemulsion Containing Benzocaine and Fusidic Acid Simultaneously: Formulation, Characterization, and In Vitro Evaluation for Wound Healing.
  AAPS PharmSciTech · 2024 · Arpa MD, Çağlar EŞ, Güreşçi D, et al.
  PMID 38443698DOI 10.1208/s12249-024-02762-5

The 10 most recently updated of 6,893 ClinicalTrials.gov registrations naming Benzocaine as an intervention. Registration is not evidence of efficacy or safety — reference crosswalk only.

• Effects of Cervical Stabilization Exercises With and Without Reverse Natural Apophyseal Glides in Text Neck Syndrome
  Not yet recruiting · Interventional · 42 enrolled · Riphah International University
  NCT07646392updated 2026-06-12
• A First-in-human Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of UCB3101 in Healthy Participants
  Terminated · Phase 1 · Interventional · 56 enrolled · UCB Biopharma SRL
  NCT06555601updated 2026-06-12
• Sleep Hygiene During Ramadan
  Completed · Interventional · 64 enrolled · The Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax
  NCT07639229updated 2026-06-12
• Sustained Natural Apophyseal Glides With and Without Facilitated Positional Release Technique in Cervicogenic Dizziness
  Not yet recruiting · Interventional · 42 enrolled · Riphah International University
  NCT07646327updated 2026-06-12
• Health Benefits of Dance Exercise
  Recruiting · Interventional · 40 enrolled · University of Thessaly
  NCT07615829updated 2026-06-12
• A Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Empasiprubart in Adults With CIDP
  Recruiting · Phase 3 · Interventional · 160 enrolled · argenx
  NCT07091630updated 2026-06-12
• The Impact of Physical Exercise on Working Memory in Elderly People With Mild Cognitive Impairment
  Enrolling by invitation · Interventional · 80 enrolled · Shanghai University of Sport
  NCT07644156updated 2026-06-12
• A Phase 3 Trial of Lesion Network Mapping-Guided cTBS for Motor Recovery After Acute Ischemic Stroke
  Not yet recruiting · Phase 3 · Interventional · 584 enrolled · Beijing Tiantan Hospital
  NCT07645586updated 2026-06-12
• RISK-ADAPT Protocol in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer (mHSPC)
  Not yet recruiting · Phase 2 · Interventional · 108 enrolled · Georgetown University
  NCT07645326updated 2026-06-12
• Human Experimental Models of Pain (HEMP)
  Not yet recruiting · Interventional · 25 enrolled · National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
  NCT07549490updated 2026-06-12

Frequently asked questions

How does Benzocaine work?

Mechanism-of-action class: Sodium Channel Interactions.

What is Benzocaine used for?

According to FDA labeling, Benzocaine carries indications including: Use For oral mucosal use only, as directed by dentist. For the temporary relief of pain due to minor dental procedures.. This is a reference summary of labeled uses, not medical advice or a treatment recommendation.

What class of drug is Benzocaine?

Benzocaine is classified as Anesthetics for topical use, Anesthetics, local, Esters of aminobenzoic acid, Local anesthetics, Standardized Chemical Allergen, Sodium Channel Interactions, Cell-mediated Immunity, Decreased Sensory-Somatic Nervous System Organized Electrical Activity, Increased Histamine Release.

What are the brand names for Benzocaine?

Benzocaine is marketed under brand names including Alpha-caine, Americaine, Americaine Hemorrhoidal, Anacaine, Anbesol, Anbesol Cold Sore Therapy, BOIL-EASE, Bactimicina Sore Throat.