Objective: To compare the difference in pain perceived by patients undergoing intra-oral local anesthesia withdifferent gauge needles. Study Design: Qausi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Oral and Maxillofacial surgery department of Institute of Dentistry, CombinedMilitary Hospital, Lahore Medical College, Lahore, from July 2019 to August 2019. Methodology: One hundred patients were selected by consecutive sampling from the oral surgery OPD clinic.They were divided into two groups A and B randomly. Twenty three gauge needle on a 3cc disposable syringewas used for inferior alveolar nerve block and buccal nerve block for group A and 27 gauge needle on a metaldental syringe was used for the same in group B. Patients gave a verbal pain score, from 0-10 for each injection. Results: One Hundred participants were included in study, 37 (37%) males and 63 (63%) females. Mean painscore for group A for the inferior alveolar nerve block was 4.50 ± 2.1 and group B was 3.86 ± 2. The mean painscore for the buccal nerve block in group A was 4.02 ± 1.7, while that of group B was 3.94 ± 1.8. There was nosignificant difference (p=0.167 & 0.855) in pain perceived by patients undergoing intra oral local anesthesia using needles of different gauges. Conclusion: There is no difference in pain perceived by patients undergoing intra oral local anesthesia usingneedles of different gauges.

Objective: To assess the knowledge about different mandibular nerve block techniques of fresh dental graduates, dental surgeons and specialists to attain mandibular nerve block for dental treatment in Multan. Design of the Study: It was a cross-sectional survey. Study Settings: This study was carried out at Department of Dentistry at Multan Medical & Dental College, Nishtar Institute of dentistry (Nishtar Medical University) and Bakhtawer Amin Dental College from August 2019 to August 2020. Material and Methods: The study involved 220 respondents. The questionnaire was administered to fresh dental graduates (house officers) and dental surgeons in 3 dental colleges of Multan, and was collected on the same day. House officers who did not return the forms were reminded personally and contacted on the phone thrice over the following week. Results of the Study: The frequency of respondants who could administer Gow-Gates without supervison was 20.9% (n=46). Participants from NID, Multan had the highest frequency (35.3%) with the lowest in BIMDC (16.6%)and MMDC(20.6%). The differences were non-significant (p=0.19). Significantly higher frequency of male respondants (10%, n=22) claimed they could administer Gow-Gates without supervison compared to female respondants (5.4%, n=12, p=0.012, Chi-Square). Training for Gow-Gates had been received by 12.7% (n=28) of the House Officers and dental surgeons. The Highest frequency of training was in NID, Multan (5.4%, n= 12, p= 0.016, chi-square). Conclusion: The majority of the dental practitioners of Multan used IANB as their primary LA technique and intraligamental injections as a supplemental LA technique in their clinics to attain mandibular molars anesthesia for general dental procedures like fillings, root canals and extractions. Keywords: Mandibular local anesthesia, Inferior alveolar nerve block, Gow-Gates technique

Objective: of this study is to analyze the behavior/attitude of general dental practitioners towards record keeping and quality assessment of patient records found in different dental practices of Lahore. Study design: Cross sectional, Descriptive, Questionnaire based study (Copy of questionnaire attached). Place and Duration of Study: Data collection for this study was conducted in different private dental practices of Lahore from Oct-2017 to Dec-2017. Methods; A random sample of 60 dental practices were selected by means of stratified sampling from different towns of Lahore. Dentists were interviewed and patient records were checked for data collection which is analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: Interview of 43 dentists and analysis of patient records from their practices revealed that 16 (37.2%) practices have no record at all and even none of the remaining 27 (62.8%) practices. Who claim to have patient records, has any properly completed record. Shows that dentists have got very casual behavior towards record keeping as most of them were not having any records and the remaining ones who claimed to have patient records, were maintaining them in a very poor form. Conclusion: Female dentists, postgraduates and dentists working in group practices and affluent areas were found to have relatively more tendency towards record keeping. Recommendation; Dentist training institutes and health implementing authorities are the main areas which need to be stressed upon for improvement of record keeping. Keywords: (MESH) Record keeping, Dental photography, Dentist, Post-graduate, Health authorities, Affluent areas.