Is the Mandibular Block Passe?

The traditional ‘mandibular nerve block’ has one of the lowest success rates of major nerve blocks administered in the human body. Is it still necessary for the doctor or hygienist to utilize this technique? Techniques, such as the Gow-Gates mandibular nerve block; Akinosi-Vazirani closed mouth mandibular nerve block; intraosseous anesthesia; and periodontal ligament injection (PDL) techniques have been developed in an effort to improve success in the mandible. The local anesthetic articaine HCl has been demonstrated to have significant success when administered by mandibular infiltration in adults, while more recently the ability to buffer local anesthetic solutions has demonstrated potential to both increase the rate of onset of anesthesia as well as increasing its depth. These techniques will be reviewed in this course. So, is the ‘mandibular block’ passe? Come hear for yourself!