The organization of the inferior alveolar nerve and its relation to local analgesia

An electrical stimulator was used to assess the onset of analgesia after inferior alveolar block injections. The findings were considered in relation to the anatomy of an inferior alveolar nerve, which was sectioned at three levels. It was found that lip and pulpal analgesia was achieved over a similar period, and the commonly held belief that lip anaesthesia occurs first is due to a lack of awareness of early pulpal sensory changes.