DENTAL PRACTITIONER’S CHOICE OF LOCAL ANESTHESIA TECHNIQUE FOR MANDIBULAR MOLAR ANESTHESIA

Abstract

The provision of many dental treatments depends upon achieving effective local anesthesia. The conventional inferior alveolar nerve block is the most commonly used nerve block technique. In certain cases however this nerve block fails even when performed by the most experienced operators, so in those cases a supplemental local anesthesia technique should be used in order to achieve satisfactory local anesthesiaThis study was aimed to document initial and supplemental local anesthesia techniques that dental practitioners of Lahore use in their practices to achieve mandibular molars anesthesia for general dental procedures like fillings, root canals and extractions. A descriptive survey of general dental practitioners in Lahore was conducted. A questionnaire was made to collect the data which consisted of 6 questions.A total of 160 dental practitioners responded to the survey. Inferior alveolar nerve block was the most favoured primary local anesthesis technique (96.3%) whereas intraligamentary was the most frequently used supplemental local anesthesia technique (37.8%).