Investigating the impact of drug delivery systems on the efficacy of EMLA cream for palatine anesthesia in children aged 7 to 11 years.

Abstract

Background & Aim: This research aims to find alternatives to the traditional painful palatine local injection used during the extraction of upper temporary teeth. The study seeks to enhance the effectiveness of EMLA cream over a suitable duration for child response (3 minutes) by utilizing drug delivery systems, including a permeability enhancer (DMSO), oral patches, and microneedle patches for palatine injections while using only lidocaine injections from the vestibular side.

Materials and Methods: The research sample consisted of 75 children, who were

randomly divided into five groups of 15 children each. The studied material or method was applied to each group as follows:

Group 1: (Conventional local palatine injection (control group)).

Group 2: (EMLA cream only).

Group 3: (Chemical permeability enhancer DMSO with EMLA cream).

Group 4: (Oral patches with EMLA Cream).

Group 5: (Microneedle patches dissolved with EMLA Cream).

Physiological scales were utilized to assess pain in the study. A pulse oximeter was employed to measure heart rate and oxygen saturation at different stages of the procedure (application, probing, and extraction) across the various groups being studied.

 Results: The findings revealed that, at a 95% confidence level, there were no statistically significant differences in the average changes in oxygen saturation among the groups at any of the stages analyzed. Additionally, during the extraction phase, no significant differences were found in the average changes in heart rate between the research groups. However, for the other stages (application and probing), the significance level was found to be less than 0.05.

Conclusion: Both conventional palatal injections and extractions are generally painful procedures. By incorporating drug delivery systems, we can enhance the efficiency and comfort of the procedure for children.