The effect of articaine and lidocaine on pain perception and behavior when used among pediatric patients: systematic review
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Abstract
Systematic reviews comparing the anesthetic efficacy of articaine and lidocaine for dental procedures in pediatric patients have been previously published in 2018 and 2020. However, none of them compared the effect of articaine and lidocaine on pain perception and child’s behavior during dental treatment. Moreover, several new randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have been published recently. Hence, the goal of this project was to conduct an updated systematic review to evaluate the evidence available on the effects of articaine on pain perception and behavior when used as a single buccal infiltration in maxilla or mandible among children.
The search strategy was formulated according to the PICO methodology following the guidelines outlined by the PRISMA and Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention studies. RCTs published between the years 2000 – 2022 were searched in electronic databases, such as PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Initial search revealed 20819 articles, from which 270 articles were screened for inclusion. Finally, 24 articles were eligible to be included in this review. Results from self-reported pain perception and behavior scales following different dental procedures in pediatric patients were evaluated among the selected studies.
Although there was a clear variability in the statistical significance of the results, it was evident that articaine is useful in better management of pediatric patients during dental procedures.