Unsweetened ice popsicles impart a positive feeling and reduce self-mutilation after paediatric dental treatment with local anaesthesia.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the current study was to assess whether an unsweetened ice-popsicle imparts a positive feeling to children after dental treatment in which local anaesthesia is administered, and whether it reduces the tendency of children to self-mutilate (bite the lip, cheek or tongue) after the administration of local anaesthesia.


METHODS
Crossover study of 31 children aged 4-11 years old who needed similar dental treatments on both sides of the mandible or maxilla under local anaesthesia. At the end of each appointment the child received a toy or an ice-popsicle especially made for this study. Patients and parents answered a questionnaire regarding the children's behaviour and feeling immediately after the treatment, and 10 and 30 min after receiving the ice-popsicle or toy.


RESULTS
Children who received ice-popsicles after dental treatment under local anaesthesia felt less discomfort and suffered less soft tissue trauma than they did when they received a toy. Reduction in soft tissue trauma was evident 10 min after receiving the ice-popsicles.


CONCLUSIONS
Licking of an ice-popsicle after dental treatment with local anaesthesia reduces the feeling of discomfort and the biting of soft tissue and self- mutilation.
Ram
Diana
D
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, The Hebrew University Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel. dianar@ekmd.huji.ac.il
Berson
Tamar
T
Moskovitz
Moti
M
Efrat
Jacob
J
D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D001734:Bites, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000523:psychology*; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000139:chemically induced; D007053:Ice; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000517:prevention & control; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D007053:Ice