ANESTHETIC EFFICACY OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL INTRAOSSEOUS INJECTION OF 2-PERCENT-LIDOCAINE WITH 1 100,000 EPINEPHRINE IN IRREVERSIBLE PULPITS/

The purpose of this study was to determine the anesthetic efficacy of a supplemental intraosseous injection of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 e pinephrine in teeth diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis. Fifty-one pa tients with symptomatic, vital maxillary, and mandibular posterior tee th diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis received conventional infiltra tions or inferior alveolar nerve blocks. Pulp testing was used to dete rmine pulpal anesthesia after ''clinically successful'' injections. Pa tients who were positive to the pulp tests, or were negative to the pu lp tests but felt pain during endodontic access, received an intraosse ous injection using 1.8 ml of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine. The results demonstrated that 42% of the patients who tested negative to the pulp tests reported pain during treatment and required supplem ental anesthesia. Eighty-one percent of the mandibular teeth and 12% o f maxillary teeth regain pulpal anesthesia. Overall, the Stabident int raosseous injection was found to be 88% successful in gaining total pu lpal anesthesia for endodontic therapy. We concluded that, for posteri or teeth diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis, the supplemental intrao sseous injection of 2% lidocaine (1:100,000 epinephrine) was successfu l when conventional techniques failed.