Evaluation of the Effect of Distant Cold Stimulation on Pain During Palatal Injection: A Randomized Split-Mouth Study

Abstract

Objective

Delivery of a robust local anesthetic injection aids in the successful management of all patients' fears, anxieties, and discomfort during dental treatments. The most expected or frightening stimuli in the dental operatory are local anesthetic injections. The objective of this trial was to study the analgesic efficacy of distant cold stimulation in relieving injection pain from the greater palatine nerve block. Before receiving local anesthetic injections, employing cryotherapy by using an ice bath changes the pain perceptions and also increases the pain threshold.

Purpose

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of distant cold stimulation on palatal injection pain using an ice-cold bath.

Method

This was a randomized, controlled trial conducted at an oral and maxillofacial surgery department. A split-mouth technique was employed for the study, in which patients requiring bilateral greater palatine nerve block for any dental procedures were included. The bilateral greater palatine nerve block was given one at a time, separated by an interval of three days. The inclusion criteria for this study were no history of drug allergy and an extraction site free of any active infection. There were 28 participants in this experimental study. Two groups were randomly created from this research sample: group A (palatal injection with distant cold stimulation) and group B (palatal injection without distant cold stimulation). In group A, the patient was asked to put his or her hand of the same side as the palatal injection in an ice-cold bath till the time patient could tolerate it; immediately after the patient removed his hand, the greater palatine nerve block was given, and the patient was assessed for the injection pain. In group B, the patient was directly given the greater palatine nerve block without any distant cold stimulation. The time interval between the two extractions/dental procedures was three days. Outcomes of interest were pain severity with and without distant cold stimulation which were assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scale, and a comparison was made between the two groups.

Results

As per our study, in terms of pain, there was a statistically significant difference between the two interventions at all time points. Patients in group A had a lower score on the VAS pain scale as compared to group B. The standard deviation (STD) for group A was 0.81, and the standard deviation for group B was 0.92. P value was derived to be P < 0.001, which is suggestive of a significant difference between the pain scores of both groups.

Conclusion

Hence, we conclude that the use of distant cryotherapy as an adjunct is an effective way to reduce pain perception and increase pain threshold. This technique is comparatively simple, painless, and easy for the surgeon and for apprehensive patients, and it offers a fair cost solution for the suffering often associated with dental procedures requiring local anesthetic injections.