The Effectiveness of Different Volumes of Articaine for Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block for Mandibular Molar Teeth with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis

Objective: To compare the efficacy of 3.6ml Vs 1.8ml articaine concentrations for lower alveolar nerve blocks with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Study Design: Quasi experimental study Place and Duration of Study: Operative Dentistry Department, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Aug 2017 to Feb 2018. Methodology: Five hundred Patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis were divided into 02 Equal groups A & B, 250 in each Group. Sample size was calculated by WHO calculator. All patients were asked to score their pain using a visual analogue pain scale (VAS). Then a standard Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block with a side-load cartridge device was administered. Group A was treated with 3.6ml articaine and group B was treated by 1.8ml of same solution. Patients were asked to rate their discomfort felt during the procedure. No or mild discomfort was considered as a success while serious or extreme pain was considered anesthesiological failure. Results: In Group A, IANB was found to be effective in 92% of the subject (n=230) while in Group B, IANB was effective in 72% of the subjects (n=180). The difference in effectiveness of IANB between the 02 groups was statistically significant (p<0.001) where 3.6 ml of articaine was found to be statistically more effective than 1.8 ml of articaine Conclusion: 3.6 ml volume of articaine was better as compared to 1.8ml volume of same solution for treating patients with acute irreversible pulpitis.