EFFICACY OF INTRALIGAMENTARY ANAESTHESIA FOR MANDIBULAR MOLAR EXTRACTION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

Abstract

To evaluate the efficacy of intraligamentary anaesthesia for mandibular molar extraction as an alternative to inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB), a randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out. With simple random sampling, consenting participants were assigned to one of three groups receiving intraligamentary injection with pressure syringe (ILPS), IL with non-disposable dental anaesthesia syringe (ILDAS) and the control group receiving inferior alveolar nerve block. IANB was found to be significantly less painful during administration than other two techniques. No significant difference was found for repeat anaesthesia in the three techniques. For number of cartridges used, no significant difference was found between ILDAS and IANB, but a significant difference was found when compared with ILPS. All extractions were successful with Mean Treatment Time 10.1 minutes. Extractions were completed in significantly shorter duration with ILDAS. Anaesthetic technique was switched to IANB in 20% (n=8) cases of ILPS, and 10% (n=4) cases of ILDAS. It is concluded that intraligamentary anaesthesia (ILA) can be used as an alternative to inferior alveolar nerve block for extraction of mandibular molars where IANB cannot be performed or not indicated. The pressure syringe is not better than the non-disposable dental anaesthesia syringe for delivery of ILA.