The Anesthetic Efficacy of 3% Mepivacaine Plus 2% Lidocaine With 1:100,000 Epinephrine for Lower Jaw Dental Injections

Phase 4

Completed

Interventions: Drug: mepivacaine + lidocaine followed by lidocaine +lidocaine
Drug: lidocaine + lidocaine followed by mepivacaine + lidocaine

Brief Summary: The inferior alveolar nerve block (shot) is the most frequently used injection technique for achieving local anesthesia (numbness) for the teeth in the lower jaw. However, this injection does not always result in successful pulpal (tooth) anesthesia (patient felt pain). No study has combined mepivacaine and lidocaine anesthetics (numbing solutions) for this type of injection (shot). The investigators propose to compare an injection of mepivacaine followed by lidocaine to an injection of lidocaine followed by lidocaine to determine if there is a difference in effectiveness.

Detailed Description: One hundred adult male and female subjects will randomly receive two sets of inferior alveolar block injections (shots) consisting of; 1.) an injection of 1.8 mL of 3% mepivacaine followed by 1.8 mL of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine, and 2.) an injection of 1.8 mL of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine followed by 1.8 mL of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine, at two separate appointments spaced at least two weeks apart, in a crossover design. Whether the subject receives the mepivacaine or the lidocaine for the first injection will be determined randomly. The doctor will not know whether the subject receives mepivacaine or lidocaine for the first injection. The subject will not know which anesthetics he/she receives. A pulp tester will be used to test the lower jaw teeth (molars, premolars, and incisors) for anesthesia (numbness) in 4-minute time cycles for 60 minutes. The data will be statistically analyzed.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

allergy to lidocaine or mepivacaine
history of significant medical problem (ASA classification III or greater)
depression
have taken CNS depressants (including alcohol or any analgesic medications) within the last 48 hours
lactating or pregnant
inability to give informed consent

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
mepivacaine + lidocaine followed by lidocaine + lidocaine	mepivacaine + lidocaine followed by lidocaine +lidocaine	A repeated measures design utilizing a single group of subjects was employed with each subject serving as his/her own control. Each subject received two interventions: 1.) 1.8 cc 3% mepivacaine and 1.8 cc 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine (3% mepivacaine/2% lidocaine with epinephrine - combination 1) and 2.) 1.8 cc 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine followed by 1.8 cc 2% liocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine at two seperate appointments spaced 2 weeks apart.
lidocaine + lidocaine followed by mepivacaine plus lidocaine	lidocaine + lidocaine followed by mepivacaine + lidocaine	A repeated measures design utilizing a single group of subjects was employed with each subject serving as his/her own control. Each subject received two interventions: 1.) 1.8 cc 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine and 1.8 cc 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine and 2.) 1.8 cc 3% mepivacaine and 1.8 cc 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine followed by 1.8 cc 2% liocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine at two separate appointments spaced two weeks apart.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of Participants Achieving Pulpal Anesthesia Success.	60 minutes per injection sequence.	An electric pulp tester will be used to test the lower jaw teeth (molars, premolars, and incisors) for anesthesia (numbness) in 4-minute time cycles for 60 minutes. Measurements of less than 80 on the EPT is considered not numb (anesthesia failure). Readings of 80 equate to anesthetic success.

Secondary Outcome Measures