Abstract

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF BUPIVACAINE AND LIGNOCAINE FOR IMPACTED MANDIBULAR THIRD MOLAR REMOVAL

Padmanidhi Agarwal*, Kanav Jain, Sanjay Kumar, Tarun Mahajan and Dipti Daga

Abstract

Introduction: Removal of impacted teeth is the most frequent oral surgical intervention, often associated with significant post-operative pain. In this study bupivacaine and lignocaine were compared for use in surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. Methods: In this prospective, randomized, double blind study, 50 patients requiring surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars were randomly divided into two equal groups. 0.5% Bupivacaine without any vasoconstrictor and 2% lignocaine with 1:80,000 adrenaline were used in a double blind manner. All required parameters were noted during surgery and questionnaires given to all patients, to assess onset of anaesthesia, the time of complete disappearance of numbness, pain perception and postoperative analgesic requirement. Results: Longer duration of action and longer painless period postoperatively, lesser pain intensity and decreased postoperative analgesic requirement were observed for bupivacaine with statistical significance. However, the onset of anaesthesia was earlier for lignocaine as compared to bupivacaine. Conclusion: Bupivacaine has better pain control, increased duration of anaesthesia, lesser postoperative pain and decreased analgesic requirement postoperatively than lignocaine. The application of bupivacaine to minor oral surgical procedures like removal of impacted teeth, is desirable.

Keywords: Bupivacaine; Impaction; Lignocaine; Local anaesthesia; Pain; Third molar.