topical oral pain reliever be used anywhere?

[blowout preventer]

Question regarding generic topical pain relief (20% benzocaine)
intended for use inside the mouth: Can it be used pretty much anywhere
else on the body as well, i.e. areas of pain/irritation of the skin?
I'm not talking about putting it in the eyes of course, but is any other
area okay?

[Steven Bornfeld]

Generally speaking, I'd be inclined to ask your doc when applying to
mucous membrane or non-intact skin. Probably OK on unbroken skin,
though I can't rule out absorption if applied to large areas or with an
occlusive dressing. Benzocaine is used in cough drops, though I doubt
it's used in concentrations anywhere near 20%.
Benzocaine also (with the other ester-type local anesthetics) carries a
higher risk of sensitization or allergy, so watch out for signs of that.

Steve