Assessment of conduction anesthesia effectiveness using the angulated needle approach for the inferior alveolar nerve block.

BACKGROUND

Ambulatory painless surgery is dependent on local anesthesia effectiveness.

AIM: Evaluating the anesthetic efficacy of the angulated needle approach (ANA) for the inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB).

MATERIAL AND METHOD: Group I received direct IANB; group II received indirect IANB; group III received the IANB with ANA. The quality of anesthesia score (QAS), numerical pain intensity score (NRS), onset time of full anesthesia (OT), and perianesthetic complications were measured.

RESULTS

Ninety patients (mean age: 37.47 ± 18.90, p = 0.027) of both sexes were split into three equal groups. Group III had the lowest QAS value with the success rate of 93.3%, compared to the statistically significantly worse QAS values of group II, with the success rate of 80% (p = 0.016). Group II had the statistically significant highest NRS values relative to group I (p = 0.002) and group III (p = 0.000001). The shortest OT occurred in group I, when compared to group II (p = 0.000484) and group III (p = 0.000498). The transient syncope and positive aspiration occurred in single cases.

CONCLUSION

The ANA for the IANB could successfully serve as a "first choice", or as an "addendum technique" in the cases of multiple failed attempts for direct and indirect IANB techniques.