Objective: To determine the anesthetic effectiveness of inferior alveolar nerve block with 2% lidocaine and inferior alveolar nerve block with 2% lidocaine supplemented with 4% articaine buccal infiltration for the mandibular molars in non-surgical root canal treatment with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.
Methods: This prospective interventional comparative single-blind study was conducted at PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi. Based on the non-probability convenience sampling, 88 adults aged 18-52 years old, with irreversible pulpitis of vital mandibular molars diagnosed as spontaneous lingering pain with positive cold pulp test, were randomly allocated to either Group A, who received IANB with 2% lidocaine alone or Group B received IANB with 2% lidocaine supplemented with 4% articaine buccal
infiltration. Heft Parker VAS Scale was used to report pain levels during the endodontic treatment. SPSS 27.00 software version was used to analyze the data.
Results: Mean age in Group A was 35.6 ± 9.16 years, while in Group B it was 32.9 ± 10.54 years. Mean VAS pain score in Group A was 3.3 ± 2.68 compared to 3.0 ± 2.39 in Group B. There were 20 (45.5%) males and 24 (54.5%) females in Group A, and 30 (68.2%) males and 14 (31.8%) females in Group B. Pain severity in Group-A was no Pain 6 (13.6%), Mild Pain 21 (47.7%), Moderate Pain 11 (25.0%), and Severe Pain 6 (13.6%); in Group-B, No Pain 5 (11.4%), Mild Pain 28 (63.6%), Moderate
Pain 6 (13.6%), and Severe Pain 5 (11.4%). Treatment effectiveness was achieved in 28 (63.6%) patients in Group A and 33 (75.0%) in Group B.
Conclusion: The combined approach of IANB with 2% lidocaine supplemented with 4% articaine buccal infiltration had significantly improved the anesthetic success outcome as compared to the 2% lidocaine alone for IANB.
Sehrish Murtaza, Department of Operative Dentistry & Endodontics, PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi.
B.D.S., FCPS (Resident)
Operative Dentistry and Endodontics
Faisal Bhangar, Department of Operative Dentistry & Endodontics, PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi.
B.D.S., FCPS
Associate Professor and Consultant
Operative Dentistry and Endodontics
Shoaib Hameed, Department of Orthodontics, PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi.
B.D.S., MDS, MFDRCSI, FFDRCSI
Associate Professor and Consultant
Orthodontics
Aqeel Ibrahim, Department of Prosthodontics, Military Dental Center Bahawalpur
B.D.S, FCPS
Associate Professor and Consultant
Prosthodontics
Muhammad Bin Mahmood, Department of Operative Dentistry & Endodontics, PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi.
B.D.S, FCPS (Resident)
Operative Dentistry and Endodontics
PNS Shifa Hospital
Iqra Murtaza, Department of Dental, PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi.
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