An algometer for intraoral pain tolerance measurements

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Oral Medicine

Background:

• Accurate measurement of intraoral pain perception is crucial for understanding oral conditions.
• Existing methods may lack precision or intraoral applicability.
• Development of a specialized device is needed for reliable sensory testing in the mouth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel intraoral algometer for measuring pain tolerance (PT).
• To assess the reproducibility of PT measurements in healthy subjects.
• To compare pain sensitivity across different intraoral sites.

Main Methods:

• An intraoral algometer with a 0-200 g force range and a 0.40 mm hemispherical tip was designed.
• Nine healthy adults underwent 6 weekly sessions measuring PT at eight intraoral sites.
• Reproducibility was assessed using interclass correlation coefficients (R), and sensitivity differences were analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan's test.

Main Results:

• Reproducibility (R values) improved from 0.40-0.79 (all visits) to 0.63-0.97 (experimental visits 3-6).
• No significant interaction was found between measurement site and visit.
• Anterior intraoral sites demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity (P < 0.05) compared to four posterior sites.

Conclusions:

• The developed intraoral algometer offers precision, computerized data entry, and an autoclavable handpiece, making it suitable for oral investigations.
• PT measurements showed good to excellent reproducibility after a calibration period.
• The device shows potential for broader sensory and pain research beyond oral applications.