EFFECTIVENESS OF ICE AND TOPICAL GEL IN REDUCING PAIN PERCEPTION DURING DEPOSITION OF LOCAL ANAESTHESIA IN CHILDREN: A SPLIT-MOUTH CROSSOVER STUDY

Background: Dental operatory's most feared anxiety-inducing stimuli is the injection of local anaesthetic.The goal of the current study is to compare the effects of cooling the injection site and using local anaesthetic gel to reduce pain perception in paediatric patients. Aim: To compare and evaluate the effect of topical cooling and the use of local anaesthetic gel before infiltration anaesthesia in reducing pain and anxiety in paediatric patients undergoing bilateral dental extractions. Methodology/study design: A split-mouth crossover study in which 32 children aged 6-12 years requiring buccal infiltration for bilateral dental extractions were included. They were divided into 2 groups with 16 children in each group. Group 1- At 1st appointment (site-1),2% lignocaine gel was applied with a cotton pellet on dry oral mucosa for 1minute followed by buccal infiltration using 2% lignocaine injection. At 2nd appointment (site-2) ice stick was applied on oral mucosa for 1 minute followed by buccal infiltration. Group 2- At 1st appointment (site-1) ice stick was applied on oral mucosa for 1minute followed by buccal infiltration.At 2nd appointment (site 2) 2% lignocaine gel was applied on the dry oral mucosa for 1minute followed by buccal infiltration. To evaluate the child's anxiety, the pulse rate and oxygen saturation was noted.The perception of pain was assessed using Wong Baker Face Pain Scale and Sound Eye Motor (SEM) evaluation. Data analysed using SPSS version 22. Result: The study showed use of ice stick exhibited the lowest mean scores of anxiety/pain using Wong–Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale, SEM Analysis and pulse rate as compared to topical anesthesia gel. The differences in pain scores recorded were found to be statistically significant. Conclusion:Administration of ice stick prior to local anesthesia can reduce pain and discomfort in children