Electronic and local anesthesia: A clinical comparison for operative procedures

Abstract

The comfort on administration and effectiveness of electronic and local anesthesia for operative procedures, as perceived by clinicians and patients, were compared based on a 5-point Lickert scale, and a survey to solicit patient's feedback on the use of electronic anesthesia was conducted. Thirty patients, who required restorations on similar teeth bilaterally, and 10 clinicians were involved in the study. The two teeth in each patient were randomly restored under either electronic or local anesthesia. Administration of electronic anesthesia was perceived to be significantly more comfortable than that of local anesthesia, by both clinicians and patients. Local anesthesia was perceived to be significantly more effective by both evaluator groups, but 93.3% of the patients still preferred electronic anesthesia and would use it again. Minor after effects in some patients included redness of skin and briefly lingering sensation. All patients found electronic anesthesia easy to use, and most of the patients (93.3%) thought that the system was good to excellent.