Mandibular Nerve Block Techniques Quiz

Study Notes

Mandibular Nerve Block

The entire mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve is anesthetized.
The solution is deposited at or near the foramen (about 1 ml).
In edentulous patients, the foramen may lie near the crest of the ridge due to bone resorption.

Techniques of Mandibular Nerve Block

Intra-oral approach:
- Gow-Gates mandibular nerve block
- Akinosi (closed mouth) mandibular nerve block
Extra-oral mandibular nerve block:
- Indicated when there is an acute infection at the site of injection for the subdivisions of the mandibular nerve.
- Used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, such as in trigeminal neuralgia.

Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block

The success of this technique is dependent on the accurate deposition of the solution.
Anesthetizes the inferior alveolar nerve and its terminal branches.
Technique:
- Patient is seated with the mandibular occlusal plane horizontal.
- The dentist stands in front of the patient for the right side nerve block and behind the patient for the left.
- The thumb of the free hand rests on the coronoid notch and the pterygomandibular raphe is identified.
- The syringe is introduced from the lower premolar teeth of the other side parallel to and 0.5-1 cm above the lower occlusal plane.
- The needle is advanced about 2-2.5 cm until the bone is touched lightly.
- The needle is then withdrawn a millimeter or two, and the local anesthetic is deposited slowly.
The lingual nerve is anesthetized by slowly withdrawing the syringe until approximately half the needle's length remains within the tissue, depositing few drops of the solution.

Long Buccal Nerve Block

Provides sensory innervations to the buccal soft tissue adjacent to the mandibular molar teeth, vestibular mucosa, and mucosa of the retromolar fossa.
Achieved by means of a sub-mucous injection in which the solution is deposited (few drops) just posterior and buccal to the last molar tooth in the arch.
Infiltration technique is achieved by deposition of the solution in the muco-buccal fold adjacent to the target tooth.

Mental Nerve Block

Anesthetizes the pulp and periodontal membrane of the lower incisors, canine, first premolar, and sometimes the second premolar (incisive nerve).
Also anesthetizes the labial mucous membrane anterior to the mental foramen and the skin of the chin and the skin and mucosa of the lower lip (mental nerve).
In dentate patients, the mental foramen lies below and between apices of the lower premolar teeth, approximately halfway between the cervical margin of the teeth and the lower border of the mandible.

Description

Test your knowledge on the different techniques for administering a mandibular nerve block, including Intra-oral approaches like Gow-Gates mandibular nerve block and Extra-oral mandibular nerve block. Learn about the deposition of the solution near the foramen and considerations for edentulous patients.