Glossopharyngeal Nerve Block: The Premolar Approach

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Background:

• The glossopharyngeal nerve block is crucial for procedures involving the oropharynx.
• Existing techniques may lack simplicity or detailed anatomical guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a simplified intraoral glossopharyngeal nerve block technique.
• To identify specific hard tissue landmarks for accurate needle placement.

Main Methods:

• A detailed description of the anatomical landmarks utilized for the nerve block.
• Intraoral approach focusing on palpation of bony structures.

Main Results:

• The proposed method offers a simplified and reproducible approach to the glossopharyngeal nerve block.
• No prior literature documented this specific hard tissue landmark-guided technique.

Conclusions:

• This technical note introduces a novel, simplified intraoral glossopharyngeal nerve block.
• The technique provides a valuable addition to regional anesthesia in oral and maxillofacial procedures.