Administering local anaesthesia to paediatric dental patients -- current status and prospects for the future.
Fear-related behaviours have long been recognized as the most difficult aspect of patient management and can be a barrier to good care. Anxiety is one of the major issues in the dental treatment of children, and the injection is the most anxiety-provoking procedure for both children and adults. There is a constant search for ways to avoid the invasive, and often painful, nature of the injection, and to find more comfortable and pleasant means for anaesthesia before dental procedures.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the present review is to summarize relevant data on topics connected with the administration of local anaesthesia.


METHODS
The review will survey the current available methods, viz. electronic anaesthesia, lidocaine patch, computerized anaesthesia (the Wand), and the syrijet as well as the conventional injection, used for paediatric patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Usually new techniques for locally anaesthetizing dental patients are tested on adults. However, despite recent research in the field, the injection remains the method of choice. It is necessary to continue to conduct studies using new techniques on adults and children, so that a more acceptable technique can be found.
Ram
D
D
Department of Paediatric Dentistry, The Hebrew University Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
Peretz
B
B
D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000009:adverse effects; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine