Comparison of two computerised anaesthesia delivery systems: pain and pain-related behaviour in children during a dental injection

Aim
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a difference in pain and distress response of the child when using two different computer-controlled local analgesic delivery systems, the Sleeper One® and the WAND®, and whether this was influenced by the anxiety level of the child.

Methods
This randomised controlled trial was conducted among 112 children (56 girls) aged 4-6 years (mean age 66 months, SD 9 months). All children needing at least one dental visit using local analgesia were randomly assigned to either the Sleeper One® or the WAND®.

Results
During the injection phase, children expressed the same amount of disruptive behaviour using the Sleeper One® or the WAND® (Mann-Whitney U test, p > 0.05). The average injection time of the Sleeper One® (mean 2.49 min, SD 0.56) was significantly shorter than that of the WAND® (mean 3.20 min, SD 0.61; Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.001).

Conclusion
No significant difference was found in pain and distress reaction of the child between the WAND® and the Sleeper One®. The average delivery time of the Sleeper One® was shorter.