A placebo-controlled multi-centred evaluation of an anaesthetic gel (Oraqix) for periodontal therapy.

Abstract

AIMS:

Six Canadian dental schools investigated the ability of a thermosetting gel containing 25 mg/g prilocaine and 25 mg/g lidocaine as active agents to produce analgesia in periodontal pockets utilizing a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The study consisted of 130 patients, each of whom received the active or placebo gel in periodontal pockets in one quadrant of the mouth for 30 s prior to periodontal debridement (scaling and root planing). Pain was measured using both a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a Verbal Rating Scale (VRS).

RESULTS:

The median VAS pain score for the patients treated with the anaesthetic gel was 5 mm (range 0-85 mm) as opposed to 13 mm (range 0-79 mm) in the placebo-treated patients (P=0.015). There was no significant difference in the percentage of patients reporting no or mild pain (78% and 76% for the anaesthetic gel and placebo, respectively). No significant differences were seen in patient demographics, or mandible versus maxilla.

CONCLUSIONS:

The VAS pain scores showed that the anaesthetic gel 5% was statistically more effective than the placebo in reducing pain during periodontal debridement.

• Authors: D Donaldson, S C Gelskey, R G Landry, D C Matthews, H S Sandhu
• Journal: Journal of clinical periodontology (J Clin Periodontol) Vol. 30 Issue 3 Pg. 171-5 (Mar 2003) ISSN: 0303-6979 [Print] United States
• PMID: 12631173 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anesthetics, Combined
• Anesthetics, Local
• Gels
• Lidocaine, Prilocaine Drug Combination
• Placebos
• Prilocaine
• Lidocaine

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Anesthetics, Combined (administration & dosage)
• Anesthetics, Local (administration & dosage)
• Confidence Intervals
• Dental Scaling
• Double-Blind Method
• Gels
• Humans
• Lidocaine (administration & dosage)
• Lidocaine, Prilocaine Drug Combination
• Mandible
• Maxilla
• Middle Aged
• Pain Measurement
• Periodontal Pocket (therapy)
• Placebos
• Prilocaine (administration & dosage)
• Root Planing
• Statistics, Nonparametric
• Time Factors