title: The efficacy of a topical anesthetic gel in the relief of pain associated with localized alveolar osteitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This prospective randomized clinical study assessed the efficacy of pain control for postextraction alveolar osteitis comparing the use of eugenol on a gauze strip versus a thermosetting gel containing 2.5% prilocaine and 2.5% lidocaine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five patients who presented with postextraction alveolar osteitis were randomly assigned to either a control group or test group. After irrigation of the extraction site with normal saline solution, the control patients were treated with eugenol on a gauze strip placed in the socket and the test patients were treated with the thermosetting gel placed directly into the socket. All patients were given a series of visual analog scales to record their pretreatment pain and post-treatment pain at 5, 10, and 15 minutes and then at 1-hour increments during waking hours for the next 48 hours. They were also given a prescription for an analgesic to use for breakthrough pain during the 48-hour period, if necessary, and instructed to record the dose and timing of any pain medication taken. All patients were seen for follow-up at 48 hours after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean pretreatment pain score was 6.72 on a scale ranging from 1 to 10 for the eugenol group and 6.37 for the prilocaine-lidocaine group (SE, 0.46), and the 2 groups were not different (P = .62). In the immediate post-treatment period (0-15 minutes) the pain levels were significantly reduced in both groups (Ps < .001). However, the thermosetting gel produced a significantly greater reduction in pain (mean, 3.23; SE, 0.62) than the eugenol (mean, 4.83; SE, 0.43) (P = .022). Over the next 48 hours, the pain level was nominally less with the thermosetting gel, but this difference was not statistically significant (Ps = .2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the efficacy of the 2 treatments was not significantly different, the nominal superiority and ease of using the thermosetting gel warrant further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0566, USA.
authors.forename: Corey C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Burgoyne
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Giglio
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Reese
authors.forename: Adam P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Sima
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Laskin
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004368:Dry Socket / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005054:Eugenol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011318:Prilocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D005782:Gels; D011318:Prilocaine; D005054:Eugenol; D008012:Lidocaine