Effect of warming anaesthetic solutions on pain during dental injection. A randomized clinical trial.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of warming anesthetic solutions on pain produced during the administration of anesthesia in maxillary dental infiltration technique. Material and Methods: A double-blind cross-over clinical study was designed. Fifty-six volunteer students (mean age 23.1±2.71 years) of the Dental School at Universidad Austral de Chile (Valdivia, Chile) participated in the study. Subjects were given 0.9ml of 2% lidocaine with 1:100.000 epinephrine (Alphacaine®; Nova DFL - Brazil) by two punctions at buccal vestibule of lateral incisor. Warm anesthesia at 42°C (107.6°F) was administered in a hemi-arch; and after one week anesthesia at room temperature (21°C; 69.8°F) and at a standardized speed was administered at the contralateral side. The intensity of pain felt during injection was registered and compared using visual analog scale (VAS) of 100mm (Wilcoxon test p<0.05). Results: The use of anesthesia at room temperature caused a VAS-pain intensity of 34.2±16.6mm, and anesthesia at 42°C a VAS-pain intensity of 15.7±17.4mm (p<0.0001). Conclusion: The use of anesthesia at 42°C resulted in a significantly lower pain intensity perception during injection compared with the use of anesthesia at room temperature during maxillary infiltration technique.

Keywords

• Local anesthetics
• Pain
• Injection
• Warming
• Temperature