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Wednesday, 23 September 2015

Acupuncture enhanced anaesthetic effect of inferior alveolar nerve block in patients with irreversible pulpitis

Preoperative acupuncture stimulation at LI4 acupoint significantly improved analgesic of inferior alveolar nerve block for the teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. The study was reported in the Journal of Endodontics.

Pain control is one of the most challenges during an endodontic surgery for dentists especially in mandibular posterior teeth with irreversible pulpitis. To anaesthetize the mandibular posterior teeth, inferior alveolar nerve block is usually applied. However the procedure does not always provide satisfactory anaesthesia for patients with irreversible pulpitis.

The Dr NM Majd and colleagues in Iran performed a randomized triple-blind clinical trial to assess the effect of preoperative acupuncture on the success rate of inferior alveolar nerve block for teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Forty patients with irreversible pulpitis were randomly divided into two acupuncture and control groups. In acupuncture group patients were given acupuncture at LI4 acupoint for 15 min, and then inferior alveolar nerve block was administered. In control group patients were given sham acupuncture, with a mimicking acupuncture procedure without inserting needle into LI4 acupoint and then given inferior alveolar nerve block injection.

It was found that the success rate of inferior alveolar nerve block was 60% in acupuncture group compared with only 20% in control group. Further patients in acupuncture group reported no side effect up to 48 hours after the procedures.

Authors suggest that preoperative acupuncture treatment significantly increased effectiveness of inferior alveolar nerve block for mandibular teeth with irreversible pulpitis.

Reference:
NM Majd et al., The Effect of Acupuncture on the Success of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block for Teeth with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis: A Triple-blind Randomized Clinical Trial. J Endod. 2015 Jun 16. pii: S0099-2399(15)00447-1.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26092771

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