Dental Procedure

Pain control

General anaesthesia

Psychiatry

Anxiety

Dentistry

Anesthesia

Paediatric dentistry

Local anaesthetic

Dental care

Medicine

Local anesthesia

Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine

Managing pain and anxiety in patients has always been an essential part of dentistry.To prevent pain, dentists administer local anaesthesia (LA) via a needle injection.Unfortunately, anxiety and fear that arise prior to and/or during injection remains a barrier for many children and adults from receiving dental treatment.There is a constant search for techniques to alleviate the invasive and painful nature of the needle injection.In recent years, researchers have developed alternative methods which enable dental anaesthesia to be less invasive and more patient-friendly.The aim of this review is to highlight the procedures and devices available which may replace the conventional needle-administered local anaesthesia.The most known alternative methods in providing anaesthesia in dentistry are: topical anaesthesia, electronic dental anaesthesia, jet-injectors, iontophoresis, and computerized control local anaesthesia delivery systems.Even though these procedures are well accepted by patients to date, it is the authors' opinion that the effectiveness practicality of such techniques in general dentistry is not without limitations.

Alternative practices of achieving anaesthesia for dental procedures: a review