Effect of local exposure to inhomogeneous static magnetic field on stomatological pain sensation - a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

PURPOSE

Static magnetic field (SMF) exposure was shown experimentally to beneficially affect the healing process. The aim of this randomized, controlled trial was to evaluate the pain-inhibitory effect of local exposure to SMF on temporomandibular disorders, on alveolitis and on aphta in the oral mucosa.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pain perception was evaluated on the basis of ordinary visual analogue scale (VAS) testing before and after exposure. SMF (0-192 mT peak-to-peak magnetic induction and 19 T/m lateral gradient at 3 mm from the magnets) and sham exposure was executed in a double-blind manner. A single intervention took 5 min. Altogether 79 adult patients (22 males and 57 females) with a mean (± standard error of the mean) age of 37.4 ± 1.8 years (70.9% between 20 and 50 years) participated in the study.

RESULTS

SMF exposure significantly reduced pain perception (reduction from baseline to post-treatment VAS score) in the group with temporomandibular disorders from 2.0 ± 0.3 to 0.5 ± 0.1 (n = 29, p = 0.0003), but not in case of the alveolitis, or the aphta group.

CONCLUSIONS

SMF exposure as a drug-free, fast and easy to use method could potentially help stomatologists, who seek for alternative methods of local anesthesia, especially when systemic anesthesia is contraindicated.