National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) Practice Exam

What type of anesthesia is achieved by injecting the anesthetic solution directly into tissue at the site of a dental procedure?

1. Topical anesthesia

2. Infiltration anesthesia

3. General anesthesia

4. Block anesthesia

The correct answer is: Infiltration anesthesia

Infiltration anesthesia is achieved by injecting the anesthetic solution directly into the tissues surrounding the area where a dental procedure is to be performed. This method numbs a small, localized area, allowing the dentist to carry out procedures such as fillings or extractions without causing pain to the patient. The injected anesthetic diffuses through the tissues to block nerve endings, effectively interrupting pain signals from the targeted area to the brain. Topical anesthesia, while providing localized pain relief, is applied on the surface of the tissues rather than injected, making it less effective for deeper procedures. General anesthesia causes a state of controlled unconsciousness and is used for more extensive surgeries, rather than localized interventions. Block anesthesia involves injecting anesthetic near a major nerve to numb a larger area or broader region, typically used for procedures that may affect an entire quadrant of teeth, rather than just the targeted site.