Your responses, questions, insight, and interest on the topic of anesthesia have been simply astonishing. Patients dread the dentist for fear of “the needle,” and if we can improve upon their experience, then we have a golden ticket for success on both ends of the patient-provider spectrum.
I can count on one hand how many times this last year I’ve given a mandibular block. The Septocaine infiltration technique for delivering local anesthetic works amazingly well. My patients prefer it because their entire jaw isn’t numb, it’s less painful than the block, fine-tuning the bite is easier, and its application is across-the-board—from extractions to resins to my hygienists using it for those fun 1–3 SRPs.
So, in response to your inquiries, I made a quick video demonstrating what I do for the 4% Septocaine 1:100k epi PDL infiltration for mandibular first and second molars. The video was shot between patients (my office manager volunteered) and definitely falls short of a fancy video production. Too bad you couldn’t hear the ‘80s music in the background!
Take a watch and try this technique on your next patient. If it doesn’t work, don’t throw in the towel. Anatomy varies, so you need to accommodate, modify your technique accordingly, and become comfortable with the application process. You will develop your niche and never turn back. If you can’t achieve complete anesthesia (which is rare), then back it up with an inferior alveolar (IA) nerve block. If the IA doesn’t work, well, the Gow-Gates is always lurking around the corner.
Let me know how it goes. I hope this helps and gives you and your patients the same experience and success I’ve had with it!
Keeping it real, raw, day-to-day, and unafraid...
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Through the Loupes newsletter, a publication of the Endeavor Business Media Dental Group. Read more articles and subscribe to Through the Loupes.
