Do local analgesics injected at the time of third molar removal under general anaesthesia reduce significantly post operative analgesic requirements? A double-blind controlled trial.

A prospective, controlled, randomised, double-blind trial suggested that: 1. The use of bupivacaine 0.5% plain and prilocaine 3% with felypressin 0.03 i.u./ml. as peroperative local analgesics reduce postoperative pain scores recorded on the first postoperative morning (P less than 0.05). 2. Bupivacaine 0.5% plain reduces postoperative opiate requirements (P less than 0.025). 3. Patients do not find peroperative bilateral inferior alveolar and lingual nerve blocks with buccal infiltrations significantly unpleasant. Thus peri-operative bupivacaine 0.5% is a valuable adjunct to third molar removal under general anaesthesia.