The dental hygienist administers 3 cartridges of articaine. How many mg of local anesthetic were administered?

To determine the total amount of articaine administered when three cartridges are used, it is important to first know the concentration of articaine in each cartridge. Articaine typically comes in cartridges that contain 4% concentration.

In a standard dental cartridge, the total volume is typically 1.8 mL. To find the total amount of local anesthetic in milligrams, we can use the formula:

Concentration (mg/mL) × Volume (mL) = Total mg of anesthetic

For articaine:

• The concentration is 4%, which means there are 40 mg of articaine per mL (since 4% equals 4 g/100 mL, which converts to 40 mg/mL).

• Each cartridge contains 1.8 mL, so in one cartridge, the amount would be:

40 mg/mL × 1.8 mL = 72 mg of articaine per cartridge.

For 3 cartridges of articaine:

• Total administered would be:

72 mg/cartridge × 3 cartridges = 216 mg.

However, if we take into account that the available choices provide whole numbers, the closest option reflecting the total