The influence of distinct techniques of local dental anesthesia in 9- to 12-year-old children: randomized clinical trial on pain and anxiety.

To evaluate pain, disruptive behavior, and anxiety in children undergoing different local dental anesthetic techniques. This randomized/parallel clinical trial analyzed three groups of patients (9-12 years old) (n = 35) who received infiltrative anesthesia using conventional (CA), vibrational (VBA), and computer-controlled techniques (CCLAD). The outcomes were pain self-perception (Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBF); Numerical Ranting Scale (NRS)), disruptive behavior (Face, Legg, Activity, Crying, Consolability Scale (FLACC)), anxiety (Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale; modified Venham Picture test (VPTm)), and physiological parameters (systolic (SBP)/diastolic pressure (DBP); heart rate (HR); oxygen saturation (SpO2); respiratory rate (RR)). Statistical analysis was accomplished using Kruskall-Wallis test and ANOVA for repeated measures (α = 0.05). Dental anxiety levels at the baseline were similar for all patients. CA promoted less pain than VBA in WBF (p = 0.018) and NRS (p = 0.006) and CCLAD in WBF (p = 0.029). There were no differences in disruptive behavior (FLACC p = 0.573), anxiety (VPTm p = 0.474), blood pressure (SBP p = 0.954; DBP p = 0.899), heart rate (p = 0.726), oxygen saturation (p = 0.477), and respiratory rate (p = 0.930) between anesthetic techniques. Conventional technique resulted in less pain perception for dental local anesthesia. Conventional technique reduces the self-reported pain in children 9-12 years old, and therefore, the use of additional devices or different anesthetic techniques is not justified.

Citation

Priscila de Camargo Smolarek, Leonardo Siqueira da Silva, Paula Regina Dias Martins, Karen da Cruz Hartman, Marcelo Carlos Bortoluzzi, Ana Cláudia Rodrigues Chibinski. The influence of distinct techniques of local dental anesthesia in 9- to 12-year-old children: randomized clinical trial on pain and anxiety. Clinical oral investigations. 2021 Jun;25(6):3831-3843

PMID: 33715064

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