Effectiveness of a transmucosal lidocaine delivery system for local anaesthesia during scaling and root planing.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared the efficacy of transmucosal anaesthetic patches containing lidocaine (46.1 mg/2 cm(2)) to placebo for local anaesthesia during quadrant scaling and root planing using periodontal clinical indices and patient perception of pain.


METHODS
Forty healthy adults with moderate periodontal disease and moderate subgingival calculus were scaled at weekly intervals, two quadrants randomized to treatment patches and two quadrants randomized to placebo patches. Bleeding, probing depths and attachment levels were evaluated prior to treatment and 1 month after quadrant scaling was completed. Subjects completed 100 mm visual analogue pain scales 15 min. after patch placement and at the end of treatment, and were asked for verbal assessment of perceived pain.


RESULTS
Subjects' verbal ratings demonstrated consistently greater pain relief with active patches than placebo (p<0.0001). Visual analogue scales demonstrated significantly greater pain relief with the treatment patches after 15 min. (p=0.0003) and at the end of treatment (p=0.0149). Efficacy of periodontal therapy was equivalent for treatment and control groups. No adverse events were observed; localized minimal gingival irritation was noted in three subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Transmucosal lidocaine patches provided sufficient anaesthesia for therapeutic quadrant scaling and root planing procedures.
Perry
Dorothy A
DA
Department of Preventative and Restorative Sciences, University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry, CA 94143-0430, USA. perryd@dentistry.ucsf.edu
Gansky
Stuart A
SA
Loomer
Peter M
PM
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016854:Dental Anxiety; D012534:Dental Scaling; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016745:Root Planing; D014098:Toothache / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine