A Randomized Split-mouth Clinical Trial Comparing Pain Experienced During Palatal Injections with Two Different Computer-controlled Local Anesthetic Delivery Systems

Overview

Journal J Clin Exp Dent

Specialty Dentistry

Date 2020 Dec 7

PMID 33282134

Citations 1

Authors

Anna Riba-Roca

Rui Figueiredo

Stanley F Malamed

Josep Arnabat-Dominguez

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Several methods have been proposed to reduce pain during injection. The main aim to this study was to compare the pain perception in patients receiving palatal injections of local anesthesia using two different computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery systems (C-CLAD) - Dentapen® and The STA Wand®).

Material And Methods: A randomized, split-mouth and simple blind clinical trial was carried out at the Dental Hospital of the University of Barcelona (Spain) involving a sample of 20 healthy volunteers. Each participant received two palatal injections in the same session (0.3 ml of 3% mepivacaine without vasoconstrictor), using The STA Wand® on one side and the Dentapen® on the contralateral side. The order of the devices and the side of the injections were randomly selected. Pain perception was recorded after each injection using a 10-cm numeric rating scale (NRS). A descriptive and bivariate analysis of the data was performed.

Results: Pain perception was similar with both devices (>0.05). The STA Wand® and Dentapen® groups yielded a mean pain score of 2.40 cm (standard deviation (SD) = 1.47, range 0-6) and 2.35 cm (SD 1.3, range 1-6), respectively. Most participants referred mild pain (80%), and none experienced severe pain. There were no adverse events.

Conclusions: In the majority of cases (80%), both C-CLAD devices allow the administration of local anesthetics in the palatal area with mild pain. Both The STA Wand® and Dentapen® are equally effective in reducing pain perception levels for palatal injections. Computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery, dental anesthesia; palatal anesthesia, The STA Wand, Dentapen.

Citing Articles

Anaesthetic efficacy of intraligamentary injection compared to incisive nerve block using 3% mepivacaine hydrochloride: a randomized clinical trial.

Salem S, Saad I, Elmoazen R, Khalifa G BMC Oral Health. 2025; 25(1):90.

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Abou Chedid J, Salameh M, El Hindy C, Kaloustian M, El Hachem C Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2023; 24(3):417-423.

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