Abstract
Objective
The
aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of pain control
between a needle-free system and topical anesthesia applied prior to
inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB).
Materials and methods
The
present study was designed as a randomized controlled cross-over
clinical study on 60 children (aged 6 to 12 years) requiring dental
treatment with IANB in bilateral mandibular molars. As pre-anesthesia,
topical anesthesia (TA) was applied on one side and the Comfort-in™
injection system (CIS) on the other side in two separate sessions before
IANB. The injection pain during IANB, at both the needle insertion and
solution deposition phases, was analyzed using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain
Rating Scale (PRS) and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability
Scale (FLACC). The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank
test, Spearman correlation, and Mann–Whitney U test.
Results
There
were statistically significant differences between TA and CIS in
subjective and objective pain evaluations during both the needle
insertion and solution deposition. The use of a needle-free system in
pre-anesthesia yielded a significant decrease in subjective and
objective pain scores (p < 0.001). No statistical difference
was found between TA and CIS in terms of patient preference, but patient
preference for CIS was significantly higher in older patients (p < 0.01).
Conclusions
It was determined that the use of a needle-free system in pre-anesthesia yielded a decrease in injection pain of IANB.
Clinical relevance
Pediatric dentists should be aware of the new injection system in order to decrease the level of injection pain.
Comments