Sign the Petition

Enough is enough.

Help PANDA end acidic (non-buffered) injections.

Sign the Petition

No informed patient would want acid injected into their face.

No informed patient would want acid injected into the faces of their loved ones. 

In 2026, no informed patient would consent to a non-buffered injection.

Patients, families deserve better.

female patient getting painful dental injection

Ask your dentist:

Do you buffer?

In 2026, Every injection should be buffered

Dental injections are acidic, too painful, slow-acting, and unreliable.

They don't have to be. Remove the acid.

With new innovations within the past year, buffering is now a convenient, simple-step process for dentists 1.

What is Buffering?
New Standard of Care

What the leading voices in dentistry are saying

"I wouldn't give an unbuffered anesthetic to my family or my patients, and no informed patient would consent to an unbuffered injection."
Dr. Arthur DiMarco
Co-author of Local Anesthesia for Dental Professionals​
"Have you heard about buffered anesthetic? Very simple...the sting is gone...you can begin treatment immediately."
Dr. Gordon Christensen
Founder, Clinicians Report
Buffering improves patient comfort, enhances time management, decreases doses, and improves safety and efficacy.
Dr. Stanley Malamed
Author of Handbook of Local Anesthesia (7th edition)
"I had buffered anesthesia injected. I was so profoundly numb, so quickly...it startled me."
Tom Viola, R.Ph., C.C.P.
Founder, Pharmacology Declassified

Our Mission

  • 1 End the use of acidic (non-buffered) dental anesthetic drugs.
  • 2 Support the providers who use buffered drugs.
  • 3 Spread awareness of the science.

About Panda

PANDA (Patients Against Non-buffered Dental Anesthetics) is a growing coalition of patients who:

  • Believe in the importance of oral and overall health and patients’ rights to be informed
  • Are aware that buffered anesthetic is now possible and convenient
  • Realize that awareness among dental professionals is not yet widespread

PANDA and this website are intended to spread awareness and educate the public and dental professionals about buffered anesthesia, the decades of science behind it, and the new technologies that make buffering available.

No informed patient would want acid injected into their face or the faces of their loved ones. 

No informed patient would consent to a non-buffered injection.

Panda Initiative = Better, Safer Dental Injections for All

Our achievable goal is 100% of new dental injections are buffered by 2028, improving patient comfort, enhancing time management, decreasing doses, and improving safety and efficacy for all patients and their families.

As dentists learn of new technologies introduced in 2025, the adoption of buffered anesthesia is increasing at a phenomenal rate, indicating 3x compounded annual growth.  

Our goal is to make acidic, painful, slow-acting, unreliable injections a thing of the past.

Why?

Dental injections are too painful, slow-acting, and unreliable.

They don't have to be.

With new innovations within the past year, buffering is now a convenient, simple-step process for dentists 1.

Learn about the new standard of care >>

FOR DENTAL PROVIDERS

We are building our database of rapidly growing number of dentists who have transitioned to buffering. If you are currently buffering your anesthetic, let us know.

Ready to try (or recommend) buffering?

Learn about BufferPro
Learn about Onset EZ

DoYouBuffer.org

PANDA-Coalition.org

1 “Buffered anesthesia rivalry heats up in dental industry,” Dr. Bicuspid, October 16, 2025

2 2018 Meta-Analysis: Significantly Decreased Onset Time And Injection Pain; Guo Et Al From University Of Southern California School Of Dentistry Concluded: “Buffered Lidocaine Significantly Decreased Onset Time And Injection Pain (Vas) Compared With Non-Buffered Lidocaine In Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block.”; 2017 Clinical Study: Reduces The Pain On Injection; Phero Et Al From University Of North Carolina School Of Dentistry Concluded: “Buffered Lidocaine Reduces The Pain On Injection With A Maxillary Field Block And Results In Similar Lengths Of Pulpal Anesthesia As Non-Buffered 2% Lidocaine.” 2017 Clinical Study: Lower Pain On Injections. Warren Et Al From University Of North Carolina School Of Dentistry Concluded: “After Mandibular Nerve Block, Buffered 1% Lidocaine Can Produce Similar Duration Of Pulpal Anesthesia As Non-Buffered 2% Lidocaine And Lower Pain On Injections.”; 2019 Meta-Analysis: 2.29 Times More Reliable In Inflamed Teeth; Kattan Et Al From University Of Pennsylvania School Of Dentistry Concluded: “Buffered Local Anesthetics Have 2.29 Times Greater Likelihood Of Achieving Successful Anesthesia [In Pulpally Involved Teeth].”

3 “Effectiveness of Buffered and Non-Buffered Local Anesthetic in Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block: A Randomised Study”, M Bala, A.O. Taiwo, A.A. Ibikunle, H.O. Olasoji, A.O. Sulaiman, B.C. Chukwuma, R.O. Braimah, B.O. Ileogedengbe, Published in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, April 21, 2023

Petition for Acid-Free Anesthetics for All

Dear dental providers, organizaions, public health officials, and political representatives:

As an informed patient, I am aware that acid-free, buffered anesthetics are now the standard of care in dentistry and easy to integrate into dental workflows, and as the standard of care, should be used in 100% of dental injections.

I would NOT consent to a non-buffered injection for me or my family, and I believe other patients will feel the same once informed. Proper patient education should be prioritized, including requiring patient consent prior to administering a non-buffered injection.

I expect you will do the right thing. It's time to end the use of acidic, non-buffered anesthetics.