Topical anesthesia is generally less effective on which type of tissue?

Topical anesthesia is generally less effective on keratotic tissue due to the nature of its structure. Keratotic tissue, which is typically found in areas such as the hard palate or the skin, consists of thick layers of keratinized cells. These layers create a barrier that inhibits the absorption of topical anesthetic agents, which primarily diffuse through mucosal tissues.

In contrast, soft mucosa and non-keratotic tissues, such as healthy gingiva, allow for better penetration of topical anesthetics because they have a thinner epithelial layer and a more vascularized submucosa, facilitating absorption and resulting in more effective anesthesia. Therefore, the effectiveness of topical anesthetics is significantly diminished on keratotic tissues compared to these other types of tissues, which can absorb the anesthetic more readily.