Microprocessor-Aided Local Anaesthesia

Abstract

The speed of injection during administration of an anaesthetic will vary among individual clinicians. On average, male dentists will probably inject faster than their female counterparts. The pain and discomfort, reported by patients during the injections, are caused by the exerted pressure, the temperature of the fluid or the added epinephrine. It is obvious that the diameter of the needle also determines the pressure in the tissues. The smaller the internal diameter of the needle, the more pressure one has to exert to inject a certain volume of injection fluid within a certain time. Many dentists assume that a needle with a smaller diameter (e.g. 30G) is more comfortable and less painful for their patients than a wider needle (e.g. 27G). However, when the mucosa is stretched well and lip is pinched gently to distract the patient, in both cases, patients usually do not feel the insertion of the needle at all.