Dental AnesthesiaAccording to a 2004 article in Dentistry Today by Jennifer de St. Georges, the two most important factors that patients look for in a dentist are that the dentist does not cause pain and that they can make injections painless. So it’s logical to assume that dentists have a vested interest in not causing pain to their patients. One of the difficulties dentists face in decreasing pain for their patients is administering anesthesia prior to a procedure. The most challenging nerve for dentists is the inferior alveolar block, which numbs the mandibular molars. In fact, the mandibular block has the lowest success rate of all major nerve blocks in the entire body.

With the typical dentist performing approximately 30,000 injections throughout a 20 year career, it’s crucial for dentists to have a firm grasp on dental anesthesia. In Spear’s latest course, Understanding Dental Anesthesia, Dr. Stanley Malamed outlines the history of anesthesia, the differences between local and general anesthesia, and common mandibular injections. This course is the beginning of a three part series on dental anesthesia so stay tuned for the next part which will be released on May 26!

After viewing this course, you will:

  • Understand the general history of dental anesthesia
  • Appreciate the difference between local and general anesthesia
  • Understand historical observations between maxillary and mandibular anesthesia
  • Understand anatomy and nomenclature of the common mandibular injections

Abigail Pfeiffer is the Editor for Spear Education.

 

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