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Inferior alveolar nerve block (abbreviated to IANB, and also termed inferior alveolar nerve anesthesia or inferior dental block) is a nerve block technique which induces anesthesia (numbness) in the areas of the mouth and face innervated by one of the inferior alveolar nerves which are paired on the left and right side.
Several nondental nerves are usually anesthetized during an inferior alveolar block. The mental nerve, which supplies cutaneous innervation to the anterior lip and chin, is a distal branch of the inferior alveolar nerve. When the inferior alveolar nerve is blocked, the mental nerve is blocked also, resulting in a numb lip and chin.
Hypoesthesia or numbness is a common side effect of various medical conditions that manifests as a reduced sense of touch or sensation, or a partial loss of sensitivity to sensory stimuli. In everyday speech this is generally referred to as numbness.
Potential complications include injury to the inferior alveolar nerve which provides permanent numbness and damage to the lower lip and even death. Another factor to consider is the mentalis muscle which elevates the lower lip and chin. During the surgery, the mentalis muscles should be carefully reattached after the mandible bone has been excised.
The depressor labii inferioris muscle may be resected (cut and removed) using surgery to correct an asymmetry of the lower lip when smiling. [1] This asymmetry can be caused by paralysis of the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve on one side, so the healthy side may be cut to create symmetry. [ 1 ]
Bone loss as a complication after wisdom teeth removal is uncommon in the young but present in 43% of those of 25 years of age or older. [23] Injury to the inferior alveolar nerve resulting in numbness or partial numbness of the lower lip and chin has reported rates that vary widely from 0.04% to 5%. [23]
Neurectomy can be an alternative to a nerve decompression for nerve entrapment, such as when the nerves have no motor function and numbness along the dermatome is acceptable. A neurectomy is not a mutually exclusive option to a decompression as a neurectomy can also be used after a failed decompression. [1]
The mental nerve can be blocked with local anesthesia.This can be used in surgery of the chin, the lower lip, and the buccal mucosa from midline to the second premolar.In animals, it can be used in surgery of the lower lip, [2] and lower teeth anterior to the site of administration. [3]