Which injection technique is characterized by injecting anesthetic into a small, isolated area?

The technique characterized by injecting anesthetic into a small, isolated area is local infiltration. This method involves administering a local anesthetic directly into the tissue near the site of treatment. The goal is to numb just the targeted area, allowing for minor procedures to be performed without discomfort to the patient.

Local infiltration is particularly effective for dental treatments in confined areas, such as a specific tooth or the surrounding gingival tissue. It is commonly used for procedures like fillings, where complete anesthesia of the entire quadrant is not necessary, and only a localized effect is desired to manage pain at the single tooth level.

In contrast, field block and nerve block techniques involve broader areas. A field block refers to injecting anesthetic around a specific area to block multiple nerves in a localized zone, while a nerve block affects larger sections of nerves and can anesthetize a whole quadrant or more significantly larger areas. The palatal technique is generally used to administer anesthesia specifically to the palatal tissues often required for certain dental procedures but does not focus solely on small localized areas as local infiltration does.