Nerve Blocks of the Face and Mouth

The supraorbital, infraorbital and mental nerves all line along an imaginary vertical line drawn through the pupil.When injecting in the mouth, provide topical anesthetic, retract mucosa to enhance vision & minimize needle insertion trauma, dry the injection site, and penetrate mucosa using distracting pain to minimize the pain of injection.

 Regional anesthesia for the face

Injection points and area of cutaneous anesthesia are shown...

Facial Nerve Blocks

Regional nerve blocks represent another tool to be employed in the right context, and familiarity with anatomy and technique can aid the Emergency Physician in complex laceration closure.

Go Mental: Head and Neck Anesthesia

This particular block is crucial for treating lower lip lacerations that may be related to slips and falls at the pool or skateboarding. We are going to ask you to go mental, as in blocking the mental nerve of the face. The mental nerve is an extension of the inferior alveolar nerve, which branches primarily off the trigeminal nerve. It is a sensory nerve that provides sensation to the lower chin and lip.

Nerve Blocks of the Face

Regional anesthesia is commonly used for postoperative pain management to decrease postoperative pain and opioid consumption following head and neck surgery.

Nerve Blocks of the Head & Neck Part I: Facial Nerve Blocks

Regional nerve blocks of the face and body are increasingly being used in the ED for their ease, efficacy and efficiency in providing anesthesia for common procedures and complaints.

Regional Anesthesia of the Face & Mouth

Don't forget about your dosing guidelines and adverse reactions!

The Ophthalmic (V1) Nerve Block

I believe this is the hardest to master among the facial nerve blocks. It is also slightly more intimidating, as it involves needle entry through the skin, rather than within the mouth.