How Effective Is Supplemental Intraseptal Anesthesia in Patients with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis?
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have reported high levels of success with intraseptal injection for various dental procedures but provide limited information on the use of the injection during endodontic treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this prospective study was to determine the anesthetic efficacy of the supplemental intraseptal technique in mandibular posterior teeth diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis when the conventional inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block failed.


METHODS
One hundred patients with a diagnosis of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in a mandibular posterior tooth were recruited. Following profound lip numbness after the administration of the conventional IAN block, endodontic treatment was initiated. Patients still experiencing moderate to severe pain during treatment were administered mesial and distal supplemental intraseptal injections using 0.7 mL 4% articaine with 1:000,000 epinephrine administered with a computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery unit. Success was defined as the ability to perform endodontic access and instrumentation with mild to no pain.


RESULTS
Success with the IAN block was achieved in 25% of patients. Supplemental intraseptal injections provided success in 29% of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Supplemental intraseptal injections achieved profound pulpal anesthesia in 29% of patients when the IAN block failed. This low level of success would not provide predictable levels of anesthesia for patients requiring emergency endodontic treatment for symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in mandibular posterior teeth.
Division of Endodontics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Stephen
S
Webster
Division of Endodontics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Melissa
M
Drum
Division of Endodontics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Electronic address: reader.2@osu.edu.
Al
A
Reader
Division of Endodontics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Sara
S
Fowler
Division of Endodontics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
John
J
Nusstein
Division of Oral Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Mike
M
Beck
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D012390:Root Canal Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000779:Anesthetics, Local
Inferior alveolar nerve block; intraseptal anesthesia; symptomatic irreversible pulpitis