[Clinico-experimental studies on the ability to drive in traffic after dental interventions]

Many psychophysical tasks important for driving performance were tested with an established battery of tests following routine treatment measures. The tested factors relevant for driving performance (e.g., reaction time, optomotor coordination, efficiency, concentration, fine motor control, optomotor functions) were not impaired following local anesthesia with Carticain, slightly impaired after "splinting with local anesthesia" and "operative removal of the third molar", and somewhat more impaired after "splinting without local anesthesia" (i.e., with pain). The reduction in performance however was considerably below that of test subjects with 0.8 0/00 and/or 0.5 0/00 blood alcohol concentrations. The legal significance of these results for the dentists was discussed.