Computer-Guided Intraosseous Anesthesia as a Primary Anesthetic Technique in Oral Surgery and Dental Implantology-A Pilot Study.

This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of computer-guided intraosseous anesthesia for oral surgery and dental implantology. Background/

Objectives

The inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) is widely used for dental anesthesia; however, issues such as anatomical variation and inflammation can hinder effective pain control. Alternatives have been studied primarily in irreversible pulpitis, with limited data available for other procedures.

Methods

In a retrospective analysis, data from 85 patients who underwent implantation, root resection, or osteotomy using QuickSleeper® intraosseous anesthesia (IO), infiltration (INF), or IANB were assessed.

Results

IO, IANB, and INF produced similar pain levels during administration, procedure, and recovery; blood pressure and heart rate were comparable. IO and INF led to less lip numbness after 15 min and required less anesthetic. IO had a significantly shorter latency than IANB, allowing earlier surgery.

Conclusions

Computer-guided IO is a viable alternative to IANB for implantation, root resection, and osteotomy, offering equal pain control, shorter latency, earlier surgery, and reduced injection volume. Within the limitations of this pilot study, the findings should be considered preliminary and require confirmation in larger prospective studies. Given the exploratory pilot design, no formal sample size calculation was performed; the sample size was defined by feasibility considerations.