Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Wet Beveling of Microinjection Needles Utilizing Constant Air Pressure for Feedback on Needle Opening
06:00

Wet Beveling of Microinjection Needles Utilizing Constant Air Pressure for Feedback on Needle Opening

Published on: September 27, 2024

Size doesn't matter: needle gauge and injection pain.

Terry Flanagan1, Michael J Wahl, Margaret M Schmitt

  • 1AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Delaware, USA.

General Dentistry
|May 22, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Smaller gauge needles (27- or 30-gauge) are often preferred for dental anesthesia injections. However, this study found no significant difference in injection pain between various needle gauges, suggesting size does not matter for patient comfort.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Dental implant surgery and risk of bleeding in patients on antithrombotic medications: A review of the literature.

Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology·2020
Same author

The mythology of anticoagulation therapy interruption for dental surgery.

Journal of the American Dental Association (1939)·2018
Same author

Anticoagulants are dental friendly.

Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology·2017
Same author

Anticoagulation in dental surgery: Is it rude to interrupt?

Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine·2016
Same author

Postextraction bleeding in a patient taking antithrombotics: report of a case.

General dentistry·2016
Same author

Dental surgery in anticoagulated patients--stop the interruption.

Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology·2015

Area of Science:

  • Dentistry
  • Anesthesiology
  • Pain Management

Background:

  • Many dentists believe smaller gauge needles (27- or 30-gauge) reduce injection pain.
  • This belief is common despite limited comparative data on needle gauge and pain perception.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between needle gauge and perceived pain during dental anesthesia injections.
  • To determine if smaller diameter needles result in less pain compared to larger diameter needles.

Main Methods:

  • Three dentists administered 930 dental anesthesia injections to 810 adult patients.
  • Needle gauges of 25-, 27-, and 30-gauge were used for various injection types (mandibular block, maxillary infiltration/palatal).
  • Patients, blinded to needle gauge, rated injection pain on an 11-point scale.

More Related Videos

Personalized Needles for Microinjections in the Rodent Brain
10:06

Personalized Needles for Microinjections in the Rodent Brain

Published on: January 24, 2018

The Quantification of Injectability by Mechanical Testing
04:46

The Quantification of Injectability by Mechanical Testing

Published on: May 13, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Wet Beveling of Microinjection Needles Utilizing Constant Air Pressure for Feedback on Needle Opening
06:00

Wet Beveling of Microinjection Needles Utilizing Constant Air Pressure for Feedback on Needle Opening

Published on: September 27, 2024

Personalized Needles for Microinjections in the Rodent Brain
10:06

Personalized Needles for Microinjections in the Rodent Brain

Published on: January 24, 2018

The Quantification of Injectability by Mechanical Testing
04:46

The Quantification of Injectability by Mechanical Testing

Published on: May 13, 2020

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant difference in perceived injection pain was found across different needle gauges.
  • Pain perception was consistent regardless of injection location, side, patient gender, or treating dentist.
  • The overall analysis indicated no correlation between needle gauge and injection discomfort.

Conclusions:

  • Needle gauge size does not significantly impact pain perception during dental anesthesia injections.
  • The findings challenge the common assumption that smaller needles are less painful.
  • Dentists can consider various needle gauges without compromising patient comfort based on pain levels.