dental disorders
How To Do an Infraorbital Nerve Block, Intraoral
Additional Considerations
Document any preexisting nerve deficit before doing a nerve block. An intraoral or extraoral approach to the infraorbital foramen may be used. The intraoral approach, preferred and discussed here, causes less pain and may provide a longer duration of anesthesia. Nerve block may fail if the anesthetic is not placed sufficiently close to the nerve. Use a new needle with each attempt (the previous needle may have become blocked with tissue or blood, which would obscure an inadvertent intravascular placement). Consider sedation or an alternative method of anesthesia for patients unable to cooperate with procedure. Stop the nerve block procedure and find a different method of anesthesia if you are unsure where the needle is or if the patient is uncooperative. 