A comparison of postoperative pain experience following periodontal surgery using two local anesthetic agents

This controlled, double-blind, split-mouth study was designed to evaluate postoperative pain experience following periodontal surgery on 20 patients. Two commercially available local anesthetic agents, bupivacaine HCl and lidocaine HCl, were used. Periodontal surgeries were standardized to minimize differences in difficulty, extent and time. A patient questionnaire was used to collect data for the 24-hour observation period following periodontal surgery. During this period, pain perception was assessed by visual analogue scales. The results indicated that when bupivacaine was used, there was less postoperative pain, fewer postoperative analgesics taken and a longer period of "numbness" (anesthesia) as compared to lidocaine. The patients expressed a strong preference for bupivacaine over lidocaine.