The classic inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) enjoys widespread acceptance, yet it is not without its challenges—ranging from anatomical variations and high failure rates to complications such as hematoma formation or nerve damage.
Retromolar Triangle Anesthesia Technique: A Feasible Alternative to Classic?, recently published in Journal of Clinical Medicine, embarks on a prospective exploration of an alternative approach: the retromolar triangle injection technique.
In their study, Roi et al. evaluated 50 patients undergoing mandibular molar extractions using the retromolar triangle approach.
They measured not only the success rate of blocks of the inferior alveolar, lingual, and buccal nerves—but also the duration of anesthesia achieved.
Their results showed a 64% success rate for the inferior alveolar nerve block, with mean anesthesia duration of approximately 72.4 minutes.
While the technique did not completely supplant other nerve blocks (46% lingual, 22% buccal), the findings suggest it can serve as a viable fallback—particularly in cases where standard techniques may be contraindicated or carry heightened risk.
What stands out in this work is the potential for a simpler and safer injection site: the retromolar triangle, which offers greater visibility of the needle insertion site, lower risk of intravascular injection or hematoma, and a means to manage posterior mandibular procedures with fewer complications.
For clinicians seeking alternatives—especially in patients with bleeding disorders or anatomical constraints—this methodology merits attention.
👉 To gain full insight into the methodology, statistical analysis, results and clinical implications of this alternative approach, you’re invited to read the full PDF of the article here: Download PDF.
