The effect of pre-cooling versus topical anesthesia on pain perception during palatal injections in children aged 7-9

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Sandeep Chilakamuri1, Nirmala Svsg1, Sivakumar Nuvvula1

  • 1Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Narayana Dental College & Hospital, Nellore, India.

Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
|January 7, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Pre-cooling with ice significantly reduced pain perception in children aged 7-9 years during palatal injections compared to topical anesthetic gels. Children also preferred the ice application method.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Pain Management
  • Anesthesia

Background:

  • Palatal injections can cause significant pain in children.
  • Effective pain management is crucial for positive dental experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare pain perception during palatal injections in children (7-9 years) using pre-cooling versus topical anesthesia.
  • To assess child satisfaction with each pre-injection method.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective randomized split-mouth crossover trial with 30 children (7-9 years).
  • Interventions: 2-minute application of ice pencil (test) or 5% lignocaine gel (control) before injection.
  • Outcomes: Pain perception (composite pain score) and child satisfaction (faces rating scale).

Main Results:

  • The ice pencil group reported significantly lower pain scores (self-report and behavioral measures) (P < 0.0001).
  • No significant differences in physiological parameters were observed.
  • Children reported higher satisfaction with the pre-cooling method (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

  • Pre-cooling with an ice pencil for 2 minutes is a more effective method for reducing pain perception during palatal injections in children than topical anesthetic gel.
  • Ice application was preferred by children, suggesting improved comfort and cooperation.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildrenLocal AnesthesiaPain PerceptionPalatePre-coolingTopical Anesthetic

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