Electronic Device Allays Needle Injection Discomfort.

• Position: Research into electronic dental anesthesia in pediatric dentistry - Brief Article

Using electronic anesthesia can reduce discomfort and disruptive behaviors in young, sedated dental patients. Researchers at Ohio State University, Columbus, used electronic dental anesthesia (EDA) to numb the gums of 15 children aged two to four during the injection of a local anesthetic. EDA was administered after the youngsters had received sedatives to calm them. During the injection, EDA significantly reduced moving and crying and also minimized usual heart rate and blood pressure changes associated with injections, compared to a control group of 15 children whom did not receive EDA.

"An injection can evoke a very strong physiologic and emotional response, even in a sedated child," notes Stephen Wilson, professor of pediatric dentistry. "EDA was somewhat effective in helping children cope with an injection."

EDA is a battery-operated device that sends electrical impulses through a finger pad that the dentist holds against the tissue surrounding the tooth. EDA--which produces a pulsating, tingling sensation--numbs the tissue or distracts the patient so the discomfort of the injection is partially masked.

While EDA is popular among some dentists for adults, Wilson indicates, it hasn't received widespread use in pediatric care. EDA has traditionally been used in periodontal research, and periodontal problems are more common in adults than children. Also, the EDA finger probe that is placed against the soft tissue is rather large for a child's mouth. "Children have little lips and mouths, which sometimes makes it difficult to place the electrodes on the gums," he points out.

Moreover, there had never been a study looking at EDA while a patient is under sedation. "Whenever kids are sedated, the one stimulus that really gets them excited is the injection. It's the injection in the upper front part of the mouth that seems to be the most...