Ninety-four patients undergoing elective outpatient third molar extraction were recruited into a double-blind, randomized, prospective trial comparing mivacurium (group M) with succinylcholine (Group S) for conditions for endotracheal intubation and the occurrence of postoperative myalgia. Anaesthesia was induced with fentanyl 1 µg.kg-1 and propofol 2.5 mg.kg-1 in all patients. Group S patients were given gallamine 20 mg while group M patients were given mivacurium 0.2 mg.kg-1. Manual ventilation was commenced and anaesthesia maintained with nitrous oxide 70% and isoflurane 1 to 2% in oxygen. After two minutes, group S patients were given succinylcholine 1.5 mg.kg-1 and group M patients 0.9% saline. Nasotracheal intubation was performed 30 seconds later. Intubating conditions in group M were significantly better than those in group S (P<0.001). The incidence of postoperative myalgia was 9.5% in group M and 26% in group S but this was not statistically significant (P=0.09). We propose that mivacurium is a suitable neuromuscular blocker to use for endotracheal intubation in outpatient dental surgery.