Knowledge, attitude, and practice about painless local anesthesia injection techniques among pediatric dentists

Abstract

Background: Various technologies and methods have been invented involving local anesthesia delivery with minimal child patient discomfort and reduced injection pain. These technologies include vibrotactile devices, computer-controlled local anesthesia delivery system (CCLADS), jet injectors, and nanotechnology. Aim: The aim of the current study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice about painless local anesthesia injection technique among pediatric dentists in India. Materials and Methods: This study was an online cross-sectional survey consisting of 20 formulated questions about the various painless local anesthesia injection techniques. A total of 318 pediatric dentists participated in this online survey across India. The collected data were subjected to descriptive and Chi-square analysis. Results: Out of 318 responses received, 95% of pediatric dentists agreed that pain management is one of the most important aspects of child patient care. CCLADS and vibrotactile devices are among the most used painless injection techniques with 89.6% and 84.2%, respectively. Conclusion: The pediatric dentists were found to have good knowledge about the various painless injection techniques; however, these techniques were not adopted by many of them. There is a need to implement such painless techniques in order to reduce pediatric patient discomfort.