BUZZING PAINLESS DENTISTRY WITH A BEE

Background : Needle phobia is one of the most common fear inducing, painful and uncomfortable procedure in pediatric dentistry. Managing procedural distress can provide both short- and long-term benefits by increasing compliance and reducing avoidance behavior in dental care. Therefore, an expanded focus on fear-reducing interventions is advised for needle operations in addition to pain management.

Aim : Evaluation and comparison of efficacy of extraoral vibratory stimulus with and without coolant in alleviating pain and anxiety among children receiving inferior alveolar nerve block.

Methodology : A randomized clinical study was conducted in 66 children of age 7-13 years, and were divided into two groups receiving inferior alveolar nerve block along with extraoral vibratory stimulus (group 1) and extraoral vibratory stimulus with a coolant (group 2). Pulse rate, pain and anxiety were assessed using pulse oximeter, Wong-Baker faces pain scale, FLACC scale and modified child dental anxiety scale-faces (MCDAS-F).

Results : Lower pain sensation and anxiety was recorded in the group using combined external coolant and vibratory stimulus. Kruskal-Wallis test showed statistically significant difference in the pre and post treatment score of group 2 for MCDAS anxiety scale (p value = 0.003) and WBFPS pain scale (p value = <0.001)

Conclusion : Vibratory device with coolant can be an effective alternative in reducing pain and anxiety in children receiving inferior alveolar nerve block and can be a promising tool in pediatric dentistry.