Which technique involves piercing the oral soft tissues to deposit local anaesthetic on the alveolar bone beneath?

The technique that involves piercing the oral soft tissues to deposit local anaesthetic on the alveolar bone beneath is intraosseous. This method is specifically designed to provide localized pain control by delivering the anaesthetic directly into the bone, allowing for quicker onset of anesthesia in the area of the surgical or treatment site.

In contrast, infiltration typically involves injecting the anaesthetic into the soft tissue above the target area and is generally used for smaller or more localized areas rather than directly targeting the alveolar bone. Nerve blocks involve anesthetizing a larger area of tissue by targeting a specific nerve, which is not the same as directly piercing the soft tissue to reach the bone itself. Intraligamentary techniques are focused on delivering anesthesia into the periodontal ligament space, which is also distinct from the intraosseous approach.

The intraosseous technique is especially useful in situations where more profound anesthesia is required, as it bypasses some of the limitations present in other anesthesia methods.