[Analgesia by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)].

Although safe and effective pain control has been achieved using TENS in many fields of medicine, the application of this technique to dentistry remains almost unexplored. In this study the effectiveness of TENS in alleviating pre-existing orofacial pain, in providing analgesia during primary dental treatment of these patients and as an alternative to conventional local anaesthesia during cavity preparation in regular patients was examined. In approximately 80% of patients TENS successfully alleviated pre-existing orofacial pain. Primary dental treatment of these patients, however, was only possible under conventional local anaesthesia. Pain induced by cavity preparation was adequately suppressed by TENS in approximately 80% of all cases.