Influence of Injection Speed on the Effectiveness of Incisive/Mental Nerve Block: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-blind Study in Adult Volunteers

Journal of Endodontics
Volume 33, Issue 10, October 2007, Pages 1149-1154

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CONSORT clinical trial

Influence of Injection Speed on the Effectiveness of Incisive/Mental Nerve Block: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-blind Study in Adult Volunteers

John Martin Whitworth PhD, a, Mohammad Dib Kanaa MPhil, a, Ian Porter Corbett PhD, a and John Gerald Meechan PhD, a
a School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Abstract
This randomized, double-blind trial tested the null hypothesis that speed of deposition has no influence on the injection discomfort, efficacy, distribution, and duration of pulp anesthesia after incisive/mental nerve block in adult volunteers. Thirty-eight subjects received incisive/mental nerve blocks of 2.0 mL lidocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine slowly over 60 seconds or rapidly over 15 seconds at least 1 week apart. Pulp anesthesia was assessed electronically to 45 minutes after injection. Injection discomfort was self-recorded on visual analogue scales. Overall, 48.7% of volunteers developed pulp anesthesia in first molars, 81.8% in bicuspids, and 38.5% in lateral incisors. The mean duration of pulp anesthesia was 19.1 minutes for first molars, 28.5 minutes for bicuspids, and 19.0 minutes for lateral incisors. Speed of injection had no significant influence on anesthetic success or duration of anesthesia for individual teeth. Slow injection was significantly more comfortable than rapid injection (P < .001). The null hypothesis was supported, although slow injection was more comfortable.

PMID: 17889680 [PubMed - in process]

Address requests for reprints to Dr John Whitworth, School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4BW, UK.

Copyright © 2007 American Association of Endodontists Published by Elsevier Inc.