Anesthetic efficacy of 4% articaine and 2% lignocaine in achieving palatal anesthesia following a single buccal infiltration during periodontal therapy: A randomized double-blind split-mouth study

BACKGROUND: The aim of this randomized split-mouth double-blind study was to evaluate whether 4% articaine hydrochloride with 1:100,000 epinephrine administered as a single buccal infiltration in the maxillary posterior sextant can provide palatal anesthesia when compared with 2% lignocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine during scaling and root planing and access flap surgery (AFS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 40 patients with chronic generalized periodontitis requiring periodontal therapy in the maxillary posterior sextants were recruited in this study. About 4% articaine and 2% lignocaine were administered as buccal infiltration in a split-mouth design randomly. The pain scores in the palatal aspect were recorded during scaling and root planing and open flap debridement using Heft-Parker visual analog scale. The onset of anesthesia was also recorded and compared. RESULTS: The success rate for maxillary buccal infiltration to induce palatal anesthesia using articaine was 90% during scaling and root planing and 82.5% during AFS and for lignocaine solution was 20% and 15%, respectively. The difference between the two agents was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The onset of anesthesia between articaine and lignocaine was also found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, we observed that the efficacy of 4% articaine was superior to 2% lignocaine to induce palatal anesthesia following maxillary buccal infiltration in maxillary posterior sextants.