3 January 2007
Painless Dental Injections -
NATIONAL DENTAL CENTRE INTRODUCES REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY

The National Dental Centre (NDC) recently introduced a revolutionary technology and technique for giving local anaesthesia (LA) to patients before dental treatment, without the pain of conventional injections. The Wand, a computerized system, delivers local anaesthetic to patients in a way that significantly reduces the pain and discomfort of injections in the mouth. For those who risk their oral health by putting off dental visits because they find the routine injections unpleasant, this state-of-the-art technology could very well put an end to that.

The anaesthetic solution is delivered via a fine needle in a pen-shaped handpiece. A computerized delivery system controls the flow rate and pressure for a more comfortable injection. To administer LA, the clinician would use a simple puncture technique to gently penetrate the needle into the tissue. The controlled flow of the anaesthetic eliminates the common stinging effect patients often feel when a conventional dental syringe is used, a common consequence of tissue distension with traditional injections.

NDC first introduced the revolutionary system at its specialist Pedodontic clinics for children in December. Dr Tan Wee Kiat, Senior Consultant, said ”Studies in American children between the ages of 2 and 5 show 60% less disruptive behaviour when the Wand is used as compared with traditional injections. In our Centre, we have used the Wand on children between 3 and 6 years old and both patient and parent acceptance have been favourable. Looking forward, we will be adopting The  Wand as an alternative for local anaesthetic injection for children who are deemed suitable for treatment in an outpatient setting. ”

More than 70,000 LA injections are administered at the NDC every year. Prospectively, the Centre plans to introduce this system to a wider patient base as one way of creating a more positive experience for patients at its specialist clinics. Says Dr Tan, ”People generally do not realize it, but oral health is in fact closely linked to one’s overall well being. The possibility of a more pleasant experience at the dentist’s takes away a large barrier to building a good health partnership with one’s dentist. This is a good step towards not just better smiles, but also better health.”