Effect of a new local anesthetic buffering device on pain reduction during nerve block injections.

The purpose of this double-blind, split-mouth, randomized human clinical study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a new sodium bicarbonate local anesthetic buffering device (Onset) in reducing pain associated with dental injections. Twenty patients were given bilateral inferior alveolar (IA) and long buccal (LB) nerve block injections and asked to quantify the pain experienced during injection on a visual analog scale (0, no pain; 10, worst possible pain). One side of the mouth received standard-of-care injections of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine.

The effect of saliva contamination on enamel and dentin using a self-etching adhesive.

Background: The authors conducted a study to evaluate the effect of saliva contamination on enamel and dentin before or after application of a self-etching adhesive.

Methods: The authors divided 120 extracted molars into enamel and dentin groups of 60 specimens each, and then further divided each group into three groups of 20 specimens each. Resin-based composite cylinders were bonded to tooth specimens that were uncontaminated (control) or were contaminated with saliva either before or after application of the adhesive and then loaded to the failure point.