Anesthesia · single question
A common reason for FAILURE to completely anesthetize with an inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block is:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Accessory innervation (mylohyoid nerve) / nerve ramification
- A. Correct. Accessory innervation — notably the mylohyoid nerve — can supply mandibular teeth and cause incomplete anesthesia despite a correctly placed IAN block.
- B. Incorrect. Excess volume is not the cause of accessory-innervation failure.
- C. Incorrect. Anxiety affects perception but does not anatomically bypass the block like accessory nerves do.