Comparative Evaluation of Pain Perception Following Topical Application of Clove Oil, EMLA 5%, and Lignocaine Hydrochloride Gel 2% as a Pre-anesthetic Agent in Children Aged 7-10 Years: A Randomized Controlled Study.

AIMS AND

OBJECTIVE

The topical anesthetic potential of clove, despite its long-standing use in dentistry, remains largely underexplored in clinical research. Hence, the present study aims to compare the pain perception following topical application of clove oil, EMLA 5%, and lignocaine hydrochloride gel 2% in 7-10-year-old children in a randomized controlled trial.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A randomized clinical study was undertaken on children aged 7-10 years, who were separated into three groups using computer-generated randomization. Group I: Clove oil, group II: EMLA 5%, and group III: lignocaine hydrochloride gel 2%. Prior to administering the local anesthetic, each group was given the specified topical anesthetic drug. Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (subjective) and Sound-Eye-Motor (SEM) scale (objective) were used for assessing pain.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. The dependent variables were represented as mean and standard deviation. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for the intergroup comparison of pain.

RESULTS

All agents showed reduction in pain scores, while clove oil and EMLA showed comparable effectiveness. No significant difference was observed among groups.

CONCLUSION

All three agents are effective pre-anesthetic agents. Clove oil can serve as a viable herbal alternative.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Clove oil demonstrates comparable efficacy to conventional topical anesthetics, offering a safe, natural, and cost-effective alternative for pain reduction in pediatric dentistry.