A placebo-controlled multi-centred evaluation of an anaesthetic gel (Oraqix) for periodontal therapy.

AIMS

Six Canadian dental schools investigated the ability of a thermosetting gel containing 25 mg/g prilocaine and 25 mg/g lidocaine as active agents to produce analgesia in periodontal pockets utilizing a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study consisted of 130 patients, each of whom received the active or placebo gel in periodontal pockets in one quadrant of the mouth for 30 s prior to periodontal debridement (scaling and root planing). Pain was measured using both a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a Verbal Rating Scale (VRS).

RESULTS

The median VAS pain score for the patients treated with the anaesthetic gel was 5 mm (range 0-85 mm) as opposed to 13 mm (range 0-79 mm) in the placebo-treated patients (P=0.015). There was no significant difference in the percentage of patients reporting no or mild pain (78% and 76% for the anaesthetic gel and placebo, respectively). No significant differences were seen in patient demographics, or mandible versus maxilla.

CONCLUSIONS

The VAS pain scores showed that the anaesthetic gel 5% was statistically more effective than the placebo in reducing pain during periodontal debridement.