Palatal injection, in spite of many modernized injection techniques, remains a painful experience for the patient. The aim of this study was to demonstrate if maxillary third molars could be extracted using only buccal infiltration of 2% lignocaine hydrochloride (HCl) with adrenaline 1:80,000 without the need for supplemental palatal injection.

Three hundred patients were selected randomly and divided into two groups of 150 each. In the experimental group, 2 ml of 2% lignocaine hydrochloride with 1:80000 adrenaline was injected into the buccal vestibule of the tooth to be extracted. Extraction was performed after a waiting period of 7 minutes postinjection. Equal number of 150 patients were used as control and were subjected to the same protocol, with additional palatal injection. Pain experienced during extraction of both groups were recorded using visual analog scale and faces pain scale. Mann-Whitney test was used to analyze pain between both the groups.

Statistical analysis of the two groups, experimental and control groups do not defer with respect to visual analog and faces pain score.

Palatal injection for extraction of maxillary third molar is not mandatory.

Pawar S, Desai RA, Padhye M, Shevale V, Khosa R, Keswani E, Thakker S, Shah V. Palatal Injection: A Myth or a Reality in Maxillary Third Molar Extraction. World J Dent 2014;5(1):28-32.