Efficacy of Topical Anesthetics in Pain Perception During Mini-implant Insertion: Systematic Review of Controlled Clinical Trials

The focus of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy of several commonly utilized anesthetic techniques for reducing pain during the placement of mini-implants. An electronic search was conducted in the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline Complete, Cochrane, Trials Central, and Clinical Trials, without limitations on year of publication or language. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) were considered. Two reviewers of articles independently evaluated the results of the study, and the risk of bias of included articles was evaluated according to the Cochrane Scale. Five eligible articles (3 RCTs and 2 CCTs) were included. The quality of the body of evidence was considered low because of the presence of multiple methodological problems, high risks of bias, and heterogeneity in the articles included. There was evidence that the efficacy of the analgesia of infiltrative anesthesia was most effective in promoting a lower perception of pain compared to the other anesthetic agents, although an injection was required. Among topical anesthetics, compound topical anesthetics with 20% lidocaine were more effective than compound topical anesthetics with low lidocaine concentration and conventional topical anesthetic with 20% benzocaine.