Comparative evaluation of efficacy and latency of twin mix vs 2% lignocaine HCL with 1:80000 epinephrine in surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molar

INTRODUCTION: A prospective randomized double-blind controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the latency and duration of pterygomandibular nerve block with a mixture of 1.8 ml 2% lignocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine and 1 ml of 4 mg dexamethasone and its impact on postoperative sequelae after surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in 40 subjects referred to the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery; they were divided into 20 subjects each in group A and B with the age range of 18–72 years planned for elective surgical removal of unilateral impacted mandibular third molar. Each patient was randomly selected to receive anesthesia using 1.8 ml 2% lignocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine in group A or 2.8 ml twin mix (1.8 ml 2% lignocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine + 1 ml 4 mg dexamethasone) in group B. After injection of the anesthetic solution, the time to anesthetic effect, duration of anesthesia from initial patient perception of the anesthetic effect to the time when the effect subsides, need to reanesthetize the surgical site were recorded, and 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) was used to subjectively assess the overall pain intensity while injecting the study drug, during surgery, and in the postoperative period. RESULTS: Mean VAS value for pain on local anesthetic injection was less in twin-mix group. The time of onset of the local anesthetic was significantly less for the study group T, 51.35 ± 7.15 s when compared with patients in study group C (P less than 0.0001). The duration of soft tissue anesthesia was longer for all the patients in the study group T. On comparative evaluation between study group C and study group T, patients in the control group had more severe swelling and reduction in mouth opening in the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: The addition of dexamethasone to lignocaine and its administration as an intraspace injection significantly shortens the latency and prolongs the duration of the soft tissue anesthesia, with improved quality of life in the postoperative period after surgical extraction of mandibular third molars.