COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF PAIN IN CHILDREN DURING INJECTION OF LOCAL ANESTHESIA IN COMBINATION WITH A COLD VIBRATING DEVICE AND INJECTION ALONE. A SPLIT MOUTH RANDOMIZED CROSSOVER

Aim: To evaluate the apprehension and displeasure in association with infiltration in the maxillary arch when using a combination with cold vibrating device. Materials and methods: A total of 44 children aged 6 to 9 years old participated in this split mouth randomized crossover study. 24 mm 30 gauge needles were used in the study, the control intervention including administration of 1.8 ml of 2% lignocaine with 1: 100,000 adrenaline; the test intervention used an external cold vibrating device in addition to control protocol. Children's heart rate at the time of injection was used as an objective measure, and Wong-Baker pain scale was used as a subjective measure of child's discomfort. The face, limbs, arms, cry and consolability (FLACC) scale was also used to record child's pain. Results and discussion: Children reported a significantly lower Wong-Baker score and a significantly lower heart rate and FLACC scores in the test group, compared to the control. Conclusions: The use of external cold with vibrating devices might be effective in reducing discomfort and apprehension in children undergoing maxillary infiltration.