Comparative Evaluation of Pain Perception with Conventional and Septoject XL Needle in 6-8-year-old Children: A...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Pain Management
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Assessing pain perception in pediatric dental patients is crucial for treatment acceptance.
• Needle design and gauge can influence patient discomfort during local anesthetic injections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pain perception in 6-8-year-old children receiving local anesthetic injections with Septoject XL needles versus conventional needles.
• To evaluate the efficacy of Septoject XL needles in potentially reducing injection pain in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

• A split-mouth, single-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 24 children aged 6-8 years.
• Children received local anesthetic injections in different quadrants using either Septoject XL or conventional needles during separate visits.
• Pain was assessed using the objective Sound Eye Motor (SEM) scale and the subjective Wong-Baker Faces Rating Scale (FRS).

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference was found in objective pain scores (SEM scale) between Septoject XL (3.3 ± 2.01) and conventional needles (3.8 ± 2.35) (p = 0.3).
• Subjective pain ratings (FRS) also showed no significant difference between the two needle types (p = 0.524).
• No significant age difference was observed between male and female participants (p = 0.873).

Conclusions:

• Septoject XL needles and conventional needles elicit similar levels of pain perception in 6-8-year-old children during local anesthetic administration.
• The findings suggest that needle choice may not be a primary factor in modulating injection pain in this age group.