title: Comparative clinical evaluation of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator over conventional local anesthesia in children seeking dental procedures: A clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study to evaluate the effectiveness of pain control by employing transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) over conventional injectable local anesthesia for children requiring restorative procedures under rubber dam.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design considered was the split mouth design, in experiment (right) side, dental procedures under rubber dam was performed under TENS and in control (left) side, dental procedures under rubber dam was performed under conventional injectable local anesthetic (LA). The level of comfort and discomfort experienced during TENS and conventional LA was determined using visual analog scale (VAS) and heart rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increase in mean heart rate associated with TENS (0.78%) was significantly less compared to increase in heart rate with administration of conventional local anesthesia (11.78%). In VAS, the mean values for pain indicate that minimum pain was felt with TENS, which was closely followed by LA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TENS can offer many safer and psychological advantages and is a valuable alternative to conventional LA for children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, C. S. I. College of Dental Sciences and Research, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varadharaja
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, C. S. I. College of Dental Sciences and Research, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Udhya
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, M. R. Ambedkar Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Ila
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Vivekanandha Dental College for Women, Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Jambai Sampath Kumar
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sivakumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sri Ramakrishna Dental College and Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Ramasamy Sundararajan
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Karthik
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, SRM Dental College, SRM University, Ramapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manivanan
keywords: Heart rate; local anesthesia; transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation; visual analog scale