Digital vs. Conventional Anesthesia for Primary Tooth Extractions in Pediatric Patients

Comparison of Digital Anesthesia and Conventional Infiltration Techniques During Primary Tooth Extractions in Children

This study aims to compare two different techniques of administering dental anesthesia to pediatric patients to determine which method causes less pain and anxiety during procedures like primary tooth extractions.

Dental anxiety, particularly in pediatric patients, is a significant challenge, often triggered by fear of local anesthesia injections. Although local anesthesia aims to prevent pain during treatment, the injection process itself can cause anxiety and defensive behaviors, especially in children. To address this, various methods have been introduced to reduce discomfort, including topical anesthetics, slow injections, and thinner needles. However, traditional methods still face challenges in regulating injection rates, leading to the development of computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery (CCLAD) systems.

CCLAD, particularly intraosseous anesthesia systems like SleeperOne™, offer a controlled flow rate and pressure during anesthesia delivery, potentially reducing discomfort and anxiety. Despite numerous studies, results on the effectiveness of CCLAD in pediatric patients remain controversial. This study aims to bridge this gap by comparing the efficacy of computerized intraosseous anesthesia with conventional infiltration anesthesia in pediatric patients undergoing primary molar extraction. The goal is to assess pain perception and anxiety levels, with the hypothesis that intraosseous anesthesia may lead to better outcomes in terms of pain and anxiety reduction compared to conventional techniques.

The use of the SleeperOne™ device for intraosseous anesthesia is hypothesized to be more effective in reducing pain and anxiety compared to conventional infiltration techniques during the extraction of primary molars in children.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients in between 6-12 years old
• Physically and mentally healthy patients
• Cooperative patients who were rated as positive or definitely positive according to the Frankl behavior classification scale
• Patients who had primary molars that required extraction on both sides of maxillary arch.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children allergic to local anesthetics
• Medically compromised and special children
• Teeth with hypoplasia
• Children who used analgesic drug 48 hours before treatment