Assessment of the Need for Routine Distolingual Local Anesthetic Infiltration in Addition to Traditional Inferior Alveolar, Lingual and Long Buccal Nerve Blocks in Mandibular Third Molar Extractions

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Persistent pain during the removal of mandibular third molars is often due to accessory nerve supply causing inadequate local anesthesia. This study aims to assess the requirement of routine distolingual infiltration anesthesia in addition to traditional inferior alveolar, lingual, and long buccal nerve block in mandibular third molar extractions. METHODOLOGY: Sixty patients requiring mandibular third molar extraction were randomly divided into two equal groups; Group A (Classic inferior alveolar, lingual, and buccal nerve block) and Group B (with an additional 0.2 ml distolingual infiltration). During various steps of the procedure, any complaint of pain was recorded and graded on a subjective Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in regard to age (P = 0.666) and sex (P = 0.432). And also, no difference was found in angulation (P = 0.757), class (P = 0.417) and position (P = 1.000) of third molars. Mean VAS scores in Group B (0.153) were significantly lower (P = 0.004) than that of Group A (0.600). VAS scores during procedural steps were significantly lower in Group B during mucoperiosteal elevation (P = 0.050), bone guttering (P = 0.037), and tooth splitting (P = 0.052). CONCLUSION: Routine distolingual infiltration anesthesia, in addition to classic inferior alveolar, lingual, and long buccal nerve block, is recommended for the extraction of mandibular third molars.