Pain Management in Pediatric Dentistry—A Comparison of WAND Computerized System and Conventional Insulin Syringe: Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Pain and anxiety during dental procedures are significant barriers to pediatric dental care, often leading to long-term dental phobia.Traditional local anesthesia methods can cause discomfort due to sudden pressure changes during injection.Computerized systems, such as the WAND, offer controlled, gradual anesthetic delivery, potentially reducing pain and anxiety.This study aimed to compare pain perception and physiological responses in children receiving local anesthesia via the WAND system vs the conventional insulin syringe, with the goal of identifying a more child-friendly approach to anesthesia administration.Materials and methods: A randomized, split-mouth, crossover study was conducted with 60 healthy children aged 6-9 years requiring bilateral buccal and palatal anesthesia for dental procedures.Participants were randomly assigned to receive local anesthesia using either the WAND system or the insulin syringe in two separate appointments, spaced 1 week apart.Pain perception was assessed using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, and physiological responses (heart rate and oxygen saturation) were measured using a pulse oximeter at three time points: Before, during, and after anesthesia administration.Data were analyzed using paired t-tests, with a p-value < 0.05 considered statistically significant.Results: The WAND technique resulted in significantly lower pain scores compared to the insulin syringe at both buccal (mean = 1.00 vs 2.00, p = 0.001) and palatal sites (mean = 3.10 vs 5.10, p = 0.003).Heart rates were significantly lower during and after anesthesia administration with the WAND technique (p < 0.05), indicating reduced anxiety.Conclusion: The WAND computerized anesthesia delivery system significantly reduces pain perception and anxiety in children compared to the traditional insulin syringe.