Investigating the Impact of 2% Topical Lidocaine Gel on Discomfort and Pain Attributed to the Placement of Orthodontic Elastomeric Separators

Orthodontic pain and discomfort can have a negative impact on a patient's compliance and can occasionally lead to poor cooperation, disinterest, hampered treatment outcomes, and even treatment termination. The purpose of this study was to compare the extent to which lidocaine 2% topical anesthetic gel in comparison to Vaseline placebo can reduce pain and discomfort that results from the initial placement of orthodontic elastomeric separators. This split mouth study design encompassed 30 patients presenting with Malocclusion, requiring fixed orthodontic treatment were included in this study who received 2% lidocaine in form of gel on one side of the mouth and placebo gel composed of Vaseline on other side of the mouth. Participants were asked to rate their pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS) immediately following the placement of the separator. The participant's responses were collected every 5 minutes following the insertion of the separator for a total of 15 minutes. The mean age of the study groups was 17.53 ± 2.03 years. The pain score was not statistically significant immediately or after 5 minutes of separator placement. However, it was significantly reduced at 10 and 15 minutes in the study group on one side of the patients compared to the other side as treated control [15.8±8.9 vs. 27.60±16.91; p=0.001 at 10 minutes, 5.23±3.82 vs. 11.07±8.93; p=0.002 at 15 minutes]. This study demonstrated that lidocaine could effectively reduce discomfort or pain caused by the first placement of the orthodontic elastomeric separators. This therapy may be beneficial for people with a low pain threshold, as well as anxious adults and children.