Regional anesthesia for dentistry and oral surgery.

Pain is a perception that results from activation of a specific set of receptors by noxious stimuli. Processing by the central nervous system results in the stimulus to be perceived as pain. Thermal receptors respond to temperature changes, mechanoreceptors respond to pressure, tension, stretch, and chemoreceptors respond to substances released during the inflammatory process such as prostaglandins, histamine, serotonin, and bradykinin. The current standard of veterinary medical practice is adequate pain management for all patients. Regional anesthesia is one component of overall pain management of the oral surgery/dental patient and is described step-by-step.