National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) Practice Exam

For effective local anesthesia, the anesthetic should be injected into which area?

1. Bone to minimize pain

2. Within the dental pulp

3. Soft tissue to contact sensory nerves

4. Into the bloodstream for rapid effect

The correct answer is: Soft tissue to contact sensory nerves

For effective local anesthesia, the anesthetic should be injected into soft tissue to contact sensory nerves. When local anesthetics are administered, they work by temporarily blocking nerve conduction, preventing the sensation of pain in the area provided anesthesia. The sensory nerves responsible for transmitting pain signals are located in the soft tissues around the teeth, such as the mucosa and connective tissue, making it essential to inject the anesthetic here. Injecting the anesthetic directly into the soft tissue allows it to diffuse and reach the nerve fibers that supply sensation to the specific dental area being treated. This targeted approach leads to effective pain control during dental procedures, minimizing patient discomfort. In contrast, injecting into bone or the dental pulp would not provide the desired effect. Bone is not where sensory nerves are concentrated for the purposes of local anesthesia since it is the surrounding tissues that need to be addressed. Furthermore, injecting into the bloodstream could lead to systemic effects and would not target the specific area of treatment effectively. Therefore, the choice to inject into soft tissue is the most appropriate and effective method for achieving local anesthesia in a dental context.