Stab Lab

Have you ever wondered how dentists learn to give local anesthesia injections?

They practice on their classmates!

Now imagine the scene. A classmate who has never given an injection before is coming at you with shaky hands and a fully loaded 32mm long needle. "Make sure you contact bone so you don't cause facial nerve paralysis!" the teaching assistants yell out right before we begin the procedure. 

Our local anesthesia rotation was a hands-on introduction in giving injections - probably one of the most anxiety-inducing day in a person's dental school career. Affectionately known as "Stab Lab" in some dental schools, we basically partnered up and practiced injection techniques on each other. Within two hours, we learned the PSA, AMSA, infraorbital, greater palatine, IA, long buccal, Gow-Gates, and mental nerve block. 

But honestly, the experience isn't as scary as it is hyped to be. I received eight injections in a span of two hours and didn't suffer or induce a hematoma or temporary Bell's Palsy.