[Intra-oral block anesthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve]

One of the landmarks for intra-oral block anesthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve is the occlusal plane. But to our knowledge, 7 different definitions of the occlusal plane have been reported in the literature. Depending on the definition chosen, different results may be obtained. We tried to find the most useful definition by measuring macerated mandibles. Our investigations suggest that the occlusal plane is best defined by the following 3 points: the buccal cusps of the first and second lower molars on the side of the injection and the buccal cusp of the second lower premolar on the contralateral side.