Efficacy of an external cold and vibrating device in reducing discomfort during the administration of an inferior alveolar nerve block in children: A split-mouth randomised crossover study

Background: Local anaesthesia is the backbone of pain management. However, the administration of a local anaesthetic injection itself is considered a painful procedure and triggers fear and anxiety in the patient. Methods: A split-mouth randomised controlled crossover trial was designed to study the efficacy of an “external cold and vibrating” device in reducing discomfort during the administration of an inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) in children. A total of 40 children who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were evaluated for pain response following administration of IANB with and without the “external cold and vibrating” device. Randomisation was performed to determine whether the subject received the control intervention first or the test intervention first. The intensity of the pain response and discomfort were recorded using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and the Faces Legs Activity Cry and Consolability scale. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the pain response between the test group and the control group (p<0.001). Females reported a higher pain response than males, with a statistically significant difference, when the FLACC scores were compared. Conclusions: The “external cold and vibrating” device reduced discomfort during the administration of an IANB in children selected for the study.