Técnicas de manejo do desconforto na anestesia local odontológica em crianças: uma revisão crítica da literatura

Abstract

Pain caused by local anesthesia is one of the main factors contributing to fear and anxiety in pediatric dentistry. In this context, this critical literature review aimed to evaluate the evidence regarding pain control methods during local anesthesia in children. The search was conducted in the PubMed database. A total of 32 articles were selected, reporting different approaches such as topical anesthesia, ice application (cryoanesthesia), vibration, computerized anesthesia, needle-free anesthesia, and laser use. The results showed that techniques such as vibration, cryoanesthesia, computerized anesthesia, and needle-free anesthesia performed well in pain reduction, whereas the effectiveness of topical anesthesia varied. Moreover, no additional benefit was found regarding the use of laser therapy. It is concluded that the use of auxiliary strategies can improve the pediatric patient's experience and should be considered in clinical practice and in the teaching of anesthesiology in pediatric dentistry.