235 - Efficacy of Local Anesthesia Following Pediatric Full Mouth Dental Rehabilitation

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether administration of local anesthesia to children for dental extractions during dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia improves post-operative recovery.

Methods: This was a randomized, single-blind controlled study where pediatric patients aged 6 years and younger, who underwent full mouth dental rehabilitation (FMDR) under general anesthesia (GA), were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: 1) Periodontal ligament (PDL) injections of local anesthesia (2% lidocaine 1:100,000 epinephrine) were administered prior to dental extractions and 2) no intraoperative delivery of local anesthesia was completed during treatment. No systemic analgesics were administered to patients while under GA. Patient recovery was graded by Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nurses immediately upon waking with the FLACC (Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability) Scoring system and prior to discharge using the Wong-Baker FACES Scale.

Results: The average number of primary teeth extracted per case was 4 (range = 2-7 teeth). One hundred % of patients who received LA had recorded FLACC scores of 0 immediately upon waking while control patients had elevated FLACC scores of 4 and 10.

Conclusions: The current trend of the data suggests that intraoperative delivery of local anesthesia during pediatric FMDR under GA reduces children’s immediate post-operative pain. Additional patients must be included in the study to determine statistical support.