Oral Surg Oral Med O
-
Oral Surg Oral Med O · Aug 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialAnesthetic efficacy of unilateral and bilateral inferior alveolar nerve blocks to determine cross innervation in anterior teeth.
The purpose of this prospective randomized study was to measure the degree of anesthesia obtained with unilateral and bilateral inferior alveolar nerve blocks to determine whether cross innervation occurs in anterior teeth. ⋯ Cross innervation does seem to occur in mandibular central and lateral incisors. However, the success rates in these teeth with bilateral inferior alveolar nerve blocks were below 75%. The failure of the inferior alveolar nerve blocks to anesthetize the anterior teeth was the overriding reason for failure. Clinically, bilateral inferior alveolar nerve blocks to provide profound pulpal anesthesia in mandibular anterior teeth are not recommended on the basis of the results of this study.