Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the injection.  Topical anaesthetics works well on mucosal tissue, if used properly.  When delivering an infiltration or a mandibular nerve block, I would use a topical anaesthetic by placing the topical on the mucosal tissue at the site of the needle puncture and then waiting for at least a minute before piercing the tissue.  However, topical anaesthetic does not work well on the dense tissue of the palate, so the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System pre-puncture technique is useful for piercing the palatal tissue comfortably when performing the AMSA and P-ASA injections.  Topical anaesthetic is not needed for the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System, single tooth injection or the crestal technique.  

The needle can be bent from the hub just slightly (5-10 degrees) towards the needle bevel when delivering a single tooth injection on mandibular teeth.  This is useful to achieve better access and to determine where the bevel is, since the needle bevel should be placed towards the tooth during this injection.  This is the only situation that I would recommend bending the needle. 

After dispensing the first cartridge during a mandibular block injection, the needle can be held at the injection site; the dental assistant takes out the spent cartridge from the cartridge holder and loads a new cartridge into the cartridge holder; before placing the next cartridge onto the top of the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System, the Multicartridge Button should be activated.  This will cause the instrument to omit the purge cycle, which forces air out of the micro-tubing and fills it with anaesthetic and will allow the next cartridge to be administered without removing the needle from the injection site. 

This depends on the injection.  The proper and appropriate needle length should always be used; and in any injection the needle should never be inserted deep enough to reach the hub of the needle.  For the traditional infiltration and mandibular block injections the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System needle is inserted into the tissue as deep as with the dental syringe – to the injection site. Generally, for the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System injections, the needle should be inserted deep enough to reach the injection site.  For the AMSA, the needle is inserted through the palatal tissue until the palatal bone is reached.  For the P-ASA, the needle is inserted through the palatal tissue and into the nasal-palatine canal no deeper than approximately one half of the 30 ga. ½ inch needle.  For the single tooth injection, the needle is inserted into the tooth’s sulcus until resistance is met, which should be the bottom of the sulcus and the top of the periodontal ligament space.  For the crestal injection on an edentulous area, the needle is inserted through the crestal gingival tissue until the bone is met.  

Yes, the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System injection techniques (AMSA, P-ASA, Intraligamentary, and crestal) are possible with the traditional dental syringe.  If the same anaesthetic is deposited at the same injection site, the anaesthetic effect will be the same or similar regardless of the delivery device or instrument.  However, there is a major difference between delivery devices.  The STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System’s computer-controlled technology produces a consistent and precise flow rate of anaesthetic (one drop every two seconds) that is below the patient’s pain threshold.  This flow rate is used for all the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System’s injections and is almost impossible to reproduce with the 160-year-old technology of the traditional syringe which uses manual pressure on the plunger to force the anaesthetic out of the cartridge.  There is a great difference between a computer-controlled flow rate versus a manual-controlled flow rate.  Using the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System’s handpiece allows the operator to have excellent control of the needle and to be able to use a finger rest during the injections.  Using the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System for these injections makes their delivery easier and less stressful for the operator and virtually pain less for the patient in comparison to a dental syringe.  There are many more benefits and reasons to use the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System.

When performing a mandibular block (IA) injection with a dental syringe, all needles will deflect away from the needle bevel as the needle penetrates the tissue to the injection site due the use of mono-bevel needles.  This has been shown to be 5-7 mm and is why it takes so long to achieve successful anaesthesia with this injection.  Using the Wand STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System’s handpiece and rotating it 180 degrees as the needle penetrates the tissue to the injection site, needle deflection is cancelled, and the needle goes straight to the injection site.  Using the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System for a mandibular block injection has proven to be more successful; produces faster onset of anaesthesia, and is less painful in children.  

The first computer-controlled local anaesthetic delivery system was The Wand; the second version of The Wand was called the Wand Plus.  The Wand STA is the third and last generation of The Wand. 

The Wand handpieces are used for The Wand and the Wand Plus instruments and are always available.  The STA handpieces were modified to allow an automatic purge cycle and cannot be used on the two previous versions of the Wand.  The Wand Handpieces are not interchangeable and cannot be used in place of the STA Handpieces on the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System.

STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System is warrantied for two years.

Before initial use, the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System requires operator and staff training on Setup, Operation, Features, Maintenance, and injection techniques.  This training is provided by Milestone Scientific for free, either through videos or , if preferred, via Zoom with one of our Clinical Success trainers.  It is important so that the operator and staff are knowledgeable and confident before the first injection on a patient.  When performing the Wand STA injections, the best advice is to always use a 30 ga. Short (1/2“needle), always use the STA Mode of one drop every two seconds; and never use excessive pressure on the needle.  More useful information, including important injection videos, is available from the clinical support staff Milestone scientific.com website: 

The patient response is universally very positive.  In the United States alone, 40 million people are dental phobic; Most patients judge dentists by their ability to deliver a “pain less” injection; Patients perceive the syringe as a leading cause of their pain anxiety.  In a survey of patients who experienced the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System, 100% prefer it over the syringe; 79% are more likely to refer friends and family to the practice; 72% would be willing to pay extra for an STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System injection rather than a syringe injection.  Many testimonials from Single Tooth Anaesthesia System users and patients to validate how the STA has had a positive and beneficial effect on them is available on the Milestone Scientific website: milestonescientific.com

Primarily by social media platforms, such as Facebook, Linked In, etc.  If you only use the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System for all injections on all patients, consider a campaign that lets the public know that you are syringe-free.  Why not use a photo of a dental syringe and place a Red X over the syringe and then state that the office no longer uses a syringe and now uses the new technology of the STA Single Tooth Anaesthesia System? Just a thought.