The Effect of Local Anesthesia When Used in Dental Restorative Cases Under General Anesthesia on Control of Intraoperative Physiologic Parameters and Post Operative Comfort

Local anesthesia is a widely used tool to ensure patient safety and comfort in the dental office. This is usually accomplished by administering a shot of numbing medicine (local anesthesia) in different parts of the mouth. Local anesthesia is an important tool used for care in the dental office however despite its standardized use in dental clinics use of local anesthetic is not standardized for use in dental cases under GA. In the literature there is some evidence suggesting that it has some marginal benefit for pain control short term post operatively and control of vital signs during surgery. Some evidence also suggests that due to its use there can be increase in post-operative lip chewing and cheek biting due to the numb sensation. Additionally, it has been seen that due to the numb sensation that children can be more irritable during when waking up after surgery.

The study section will have 60 participants of which one half will receive local anesthesia for restorative dental care under GA and the other half will receive conventional no anesthesia for restorative dental treatment under GA, based on random assignment (like the flip of a coin). There is an equal chance of being assigned to either group prior to the consented treatment. Before the surgery, a nurse will access the child's overall pain and comfort. The study team (faculty, anesthesiologist, and resident) will record the blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing duration throughout the procedure. After the child has completed the surgery a nurse will again access the child's overall pain and comfort. Lastly, parents will be contacted that evening of surgery by a member of the study team to check up on the child and will be asked some questions to access the child's comfort at home.