Which nerve blocks will help me with a tooth extraction?

Clinical scenarios and question refinement

With the advent of modern sedatives and analgesics, there has been an increase in the number of surgical procedures that can be performed in the standing horse. The use of regional anaesthesia is essential to decrease the pain perception and facilitate these procedures, including dental extractions. The use of an inferior alveolar (mandibular) nerve block and maxillary nerve block to perform mandibular and maxillary cheek teeth extractions in horses has been well described in the literature [1]. There is the potential for complications with dental nerve blocks such as arteriopuncture, neuropraxia, cellulitis and inadvertent anaesthesia of the lingual nerve [2]. More than one technique has been described for each of these blocks. When choosing which technique to use for the maxillary and mandibular nerve blocks it is important to know firstly, which techniques are more accurate and which techniques have less complications/side effects.

Search strategy

A literature search using PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted of studies relating to equine maxillary and mandibular nerve blocks or dental local anaesthesia.

Quantity of evidence

There were 2 papers describing and/or comparing different techniques for the maxillary nerve block and mandibular nerve block each. […]