Electronic versus conventional dental syringes for reducing pain and anxiety during local anesthesia in children

Effectiveness of Electronic Anesthesia Delivery Syringe Versus Conventional Syringe on Pain and Anxiety Perception During Local Anesthetic Injection in Children Randomized Clinical Trial

Not applicable Interventional Ain Shams University · NCT07045116

This test will see if electronic dental syringes cause less pain and anxiety than conventional syringes in children aged 6–8 during local anesthetic injections.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment40 (estimated)
Ages6 Years to 8 Years
SexAll
SponsorAin Shams University Academic / other
Locations1 site (Cairo)
Trial IDNCT07045116 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This split-mouth randomized controlled trial enrolls 40 children aged 6–8 who need pulp therapy on matching maxillary primary molars. Each child receives electronic anesthesia on one side and a conventional syringe on the other across two visits, with all injections given by the same operator for consistency. The primary outcome is self-reported pain using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); secondary outcomes include heart rate, oxygen saturation, and salivary amylase measured by ELISA. Children are blinded with sunglasses and the statistician is blinded, and saliva samples are collected before and after each injection.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are medically healthy (ASA I) children aged 6–8 attending their first dental visit who have bilateral vital primary molars requiring pulp therapy.

Not a fit: Children outside the 6–8 age range, medically compromised patients, those taking medications that affect salivary flow, or those allergic to local anesthetics are unlikely to qualify or benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the electronic syringe could reduce injection pain and anxiety in young children, improving cooperation and the overall dental experience.

How similar studies have performed: Prior randomized studies of computer-controlled or electronic anesthesia devices have reported mixed but often favorable reductions in injection pain compared with conventional syringes.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* 6-8-year-old children.
* Medically free (ASA class I).
* Children attending their first dental visit.
* The patient should have at least one vital primary molar with deep carious lesion on each side.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patient has any allergy to local anesthesia.
* Patients take any medications that affect the salivary flow.
* Patient taken corticosteroid.
* Children whose parents or legal guardians refuse to sign the informed consent.

Where this trial is running

Cairo

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Dental AnxietyPain Managementdental anxietysalivary amylasedental syringeselectronic anesthesia
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.