Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a malignant disease that affects the oral cavity. Lidocaine has shown antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity on several cell types. The rapid dispersion is a limitation issue; however, the complexation in cyclodextrin improved pharmacological features and modified the drug release. This study investigated the effects of lidocaine (lido) complexed with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD-lido) on cell viability and proliferation of human tongue squamous cell carcinoma SCC9 and SCC25.