In a split-mouth trial published in “Quintessence International”, the use of 1.0 mL of 2% Lignocaine with 1:200,000 Epinephrine is associated with improved anesthesia when compared to 0.5 mL during and post-installation of mini-implants in the maxillary buccal region. Investigators sought to compare the effectiveness of 1.0 mL and 0.5 mL of 2% Lignocaine along with Epinephrine during mini-implant placement in order to establish the lowest volume of infiltrative anesthetic needed for pain-free mini-implant implantation.

This study incorporated 19 healthy individuals (between the age of 17 and 28 years old) of both genders, without systemic disease, recent allergy history, or medication use who needed bilateral buccal mini-implants in the posterior maxilla. Each patient was given a random injection of 0.5 and 1.0 mL of 2% Lignocaine with Epinephrine on the left and right sides, spaced thirty minutes apart. Five minutes following the infiltrative anesthetic was given, mini-implants were inserted.

Using a pain-rating scale, the pain response was assessed on both sides during mini-implant implantation (T1), five minutes (T2), and ten minutes (T3) after installation. For pain response, gender, and side of the jaw, descriptive statistics and factorial repeated-measure analysis of variance were computed. When 1.0 mL of anesthetic was used instead of 0.5 mL at T1, T2, and T3, the pain score was reduced by 1.00, 1.00, and 0.58, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals of 0.43 to 1.57, 0.49 to 1.51, and 0.08 to 1.08, respectively.

During and following mini-implants placement, 1.0 mL of 2% Lignocaine along with 1:200,000 Epinephrine seems to offer superior anesthesia when compared to 0.5 mL. In order to improve pain response, diminish patient anxiety, and improve the patient experience during and immediately following mini-implant insertion, this study can assist the operator in administering the appropriate volume of infiltrative anesthetic.