Kathy Bassett, RDH, MEd, is a professor emerita of dental hygiene at Pierce College in Lakewood, Washington, and an affiliate professor in the Department of Oral Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Dentistry in Seattle. A national and international lecturer, Bassett writes frequently on local anesthesia and is a coauthor of Local Anesthesia for Dental Professionals.
In addition to the conventional Halsted inferior alveolar nerve block and two well-known alternatives, this discussion will examine key features of other mandibular block techniques and short needle approaches.
Local anesthesia administration is a source of dental phobia, but clinicians willing to retrain their dogma will find learning new skill sets may enhance the patient experience.
Even though dental hygienists have been administering local anesthesia for more than 40 years, there is still no consensus on national education standards or utilization guidelines.