Appraisal of the efficacy of tactile subjective test for anaesthesia of the inferior dental and lingual nerves after block injection

Abstract

Tactile, verbal subjective, and objective tests were done on 300 patients after inferior dental, lingual, and buccal nerve anaesthetic block injections were given. Of the 78 patients who indicated that there was a change in the middle-third of the lower lip during tactile subjective test, 12 (15.4%) had pain while 66 (84.6%) had no pain when objective test was performed. Forty-two (63.6%) out of the 66 patients (with change in the middle-third and satisfactory objective test) complained of pain when extraction was attempted. When re-injected, a change in labial sensation occurred in the mid line or beyond the midline during subsequent tactile subjective test. Adequate anaesthesia was achieved and extractions were carried out. These findings suggest that tactile subjective test is more efficient and sensitive than verbal subjective and objective tests.