Comparison of pain levels in nasopalatine nerve blocks using two different techniques

Minimizing discomfort during dental anesthetic injection may favor patient compliance with dental treatment. The aim was to compare pain levels between the conventional injection and the Morpheus® device for the nasopalatine nerve block during the puncture, needle introduction, and local anesthetic (LA) deposition. A crossover, double-blind, randomized clinical trial was carried out involving 32 participants. Group I comprised the conventional syringe (control group), while Group II comprised the Morpheus® device (experimental group). The total volume of LA administered was 0.6 mL for both techniques. The study was developed in two sessions, two weeks apart. The pain was assessed using a 100-mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The intragroup analyses were performed using the Friedman’s test and Durbin-Conover's post hoc test. The Wilcoxon test was used for intergroup analyses. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Intragroup analyses showed statistical differences within Group I and II (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). All the evaluated moments of both injection techniques differed statistically, except between the needle introduction and LA deposition moments in Group II (p = 0.526). In the intergroup analyses, participants of Group I presented higher pain levels, experiencing the highest pain at the LA deposition moment (median 58; 46 - 62). Pain levels were statistically significant between all the corresponding moments of the groups (p < 0.001). Computerized injection with the Morpheus® can be effectively employed to increase comfort during anesthetic injections and patient compliance with dental treatments