The effect of electronic dental anesthesia on behavior during local anesthetic injection in the young, sedated dental patient.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the 3M Electronic Dental Anesthesia (EDA) finger electrode on reducing sedated patient responsiveness during local anesthesia administration. METHODS Thirty patients between the ages of 24 to 48 months, ASA I, and in need of treatment of maxillary anterior teeth using local anesthesia were used in this study. Each of the patients received chloral hydrate (CH) and hydroxyzine (50 mg/kg and 2 mg/kg, respectively). The patients were divided randomly in two groups. The experimental group received activated electronic dental anesthesia (AEDA) while the control group had a nonactive EDA (NAEDA). Physiological parameters were recorded and behavior was videotaped and rated using the Ohio State University Behavior Rating Scale. A repeated-measures ANOVA, Student's tests, and descriptive statistics were used. RESULTS The results indicated that the heart rate and diastolic blood pressure of both groups were significantly affected as a function of time and dental procedures. A significant effect in the percent change of heart rate between groups was noted during local anesthetic injection with the NAEDA group having an increased heart rate. There was a higher occurrence of movement in the NAEDA compared to the AEDA. CONCLUSION The EDA appears to be beneficial in reducing the discomfort, as judged by behavioral and physiologic observations, associated with local anesthetic administration in young sedated dental patients.