Go Mental: Head and Neck Anesthesia

As we approach the end of summer, we pay tribute to a special nerve block. This particular block is crucial for treating lower lip lacerations that may be related to slips and falls at the pool or skateboarding. We are going to ask you to go mental, as in blocking the mental nerve of the face.   The mental nerve is an extension of the inferior alveolar nerve, which branches primarily off the trigeminal nerve. It is a sensory nerve that provides sensation to the lower chin and lip. It does not supply sensory innervation to the lower teeth, although some patients report mild anesthesia to their teeth. Three branches come out of the foramen; two go to the skin of the chin and one to the lower lip.     Mental artery and nerve positions.   Head and neck regional anesthesia is useful for a variety of reasons. A single but precise nerve injection allows the practitioner to spread a large area of anesthesia to specific parts of the face for suture repair. The injured area may be delicate and sensitive, especially complicated injuries to the lip. Many facial nerve blocks are accomplished by using landmarks that are easily identifiable. Intraoral needle entry may help avoid additional trauma to the outside skin surface. A nerve block allows suture repair without distortion or swelling that can occur with local injection. Finally, the procedure itself commands straightforward knowledge of the anatomy and requires only a few simple supplies.   Supplies for mental nerve block: glove...
Source: The Procedural Pause - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs