If the conventional IAN block to anesthetize a patient with irreversible pulpitis is ineffective, which technique would likely increase success on a second attempt?

The Gow Gates technique is a mandibular block anesthesia technique that can improve the success rate for patients with challenges in achieving adequate anesthesia from the conventional inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block, especially in cases like irreversible pulpitis. This technique involves a higher injection site and targets the mandibular nerve more effectively. By depositing the anesthetic solution deeper and more laterally, it can provide a wider area of anesthesia, which might be particularly helpful in instances where the lower teeth, specifically molars, are involved in the dental procedure and might not be sufficiently anesthetized by a standard IAN block due to anatomical variations.

In contrast, the other techniques listed may not provide a significant increase in success after a failed conventional IAN block for irreversible pulpitis specifically. The buccal and lingual infiltration technique, while useful in certain cases, might not reach the dental pulp effectively if the nerve is involved. The Vazirani-Akinosi technique, although it is also an alternative approach, may not have as wide a success rate as the Gow Gates when addressing specific challenges presented by pulpitis. Therefore, the Gow Gates technique stands out as a more reliable option in this scenario.