Comparison of Efficacy of Gow-Gates Mandibular Nerve Block Technique with Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block for Pain Management during Extraction of Mandibular Teeth

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of the Gow-Gates Mandibular Nerve Block (GGMNB) versus Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block (IANB) Technique for pain management during extraction of mandibular molars and premolars.

Materials and Methods: This prospective clinical study was conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dental Section, FMH College of Medicine and Dentistry, Lahore from May 2017 to November 2017. A total of ninety consecutive patients (45/group) meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly selected and allocated through lottery methods to GGMNB and IANB groups and were given using 2% lidocaine with 1:100000 epinephrine. After the injection, the mandibular molars or premolars were extracted using a standard surgical technique. The pain severity was evaluated using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) with the level of significance was set at 0.05.

Results: Age distribution showed that 51.11% (n=23) in IANB and 40% (n=18) in the GGMNB group were between 20-40 years of age whereas 48.89% (n=22) in IANB and 60% (n=27) in the GGMNB group were between 41-60 years of age. Mean±SD was calculated as 41.11±9.23 years in IANB and 43.31±8.56 years in the GGMNB group. Gender distribution of the patients showed that 55.56% (n=25) in IANB and 60% (n=27) in the GGMNB group were male whereas 44.44% (n=20) in IANB and 40% (n=18) in the GGMNB group were females. The success rates of anesthesia in the GGMNB and IANB techniques were 88.89% (n=40) and 64.44% (n=29), respectively and showed significant difference (P=0.006).

Conclusion: Efficacy of GGMNB is significantly higher than IANB Technique during extraction of mandibular teeth in terms of pain control during a surgical procedure.