Background: Adequate pain control has been a concern of dentists throughout the dental profession and of the patients they treat. The developments in pain control have enabled the selection and use of local anesthetic drugs based on the individual requirements of patients and the type of procedures. In the succeeding years, various amide local anesthetics has been introduced Since then; there has been a vast expansion in our knowledge about these drugs and techniques of administration. The present study shows a comparison of articaine and lignocaine as used in cases of surgical extraction of mandibular third molars. Aims: To compare the anesthetic efficacy of 4% articaine with 1:100000 adrenaline versus 2% lignocaine with 1:100000 adrenaline with post-operative pain and adverse reactions associated with both the drugs in inferior alveolar nerve block during surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. Methods and materials: This was an in vivo study conducted in Oral and Maxillofacial Department of DAV Centenary Dental College. 131 patients were randomly selected arranged in group 1 and 2. Group 1 consisted of 66 patients receiving 4% articaine with 1:100000 adrenaline while Group 2 consisted of 65 patients receiving 2% lignocaine with 1:100000 adrenaline. Results: It was found that the time taken to achieve the subjective onset of anesthesia, objective onset of soft and hard tissue anesthesia was comparatively shorter for 4% articaine with 1:100000 adrenaline than 2% lignocaine with 1:100000 adrenaline.
