Efficacy of Minimal Volume of Articaine Local Anesthetic for Buccal Infiltration During Extraction of Maxillary and Mandibular First and Second Molars: A Prospective Study

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of minimal volume of articaine buccal infiltration in extraction of maxillary and mandibular first and second molars. Materials and Method: The study was conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at ITS Centre for Dental Studies and Research, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, from December 2019 to February 2020. A total of 60 patients were included in the study and were divided into two groups as follows: Group 1 patients who were administered articaine infiltration for the extraction of maxillary first and second molars and Group 2 patients who were administered the same local anesthetic for the extraction of mandibular first and second molars. Result: Anesthesia of the posterior maxillary teeth was obtained using 0.5 ml of articaine buccal infiltration alone while the posterior mandibular teeth required a supplemental lingual infiltration in all the cases. Conclusion: 4% articaine buccal infiltration, as low as 0.5 ml provides successful anesthesia for the extraction of maxillary molars. Palatal injection is generally not required. Buccal infiltration of the lower molars using 0.5 ml of 4% articaine could be a good option for extraction of the mandibular posterior teeth, of course, with supplemental lingual anesthesia.