Should we be giving bilateral inferior alveolar and lingual nerve blocks for third molar surgery?

Extraction of mandibular third molars is one of the most common procedures in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and it is normal practice to extract both teeth at one visit under general anaesthesia. However, when both teeth are extracted under local anaesthesia, bilateral inferior alveolar and lingual nerve blocks are required, which is a subject of debate among clinicians. Much of the controversy surrounds the safety and efficacy of bilateral anaesthesia even though many surgeons use local anaesthetic solutions for perioperative and postoperative pain relief after day case general anaesthesia with no reports of unwanted effects. The evidence presented in this review explores published research for and against the use of unilateral and bilateral inferior alveolar and lingual nerve blocks.