Abstract
BACKGROUND: Needle anxiety is one of the most common barriers to providing stress-free dental care in children. In paediatric dentistry, there is a consistent effort to identify painless techniques for administering local anaesthesia. Topical anaesthetics have long been considered a valuable aid in this regard. Recently, the efficacy of herbal topical anaesthetic agents has been compared with that of conventional sprays and gels. The present study is among the first to evaluate the effectiveness of Trachyspermum ammi (Ajwain) oil as a topical agent for pain control during local anaesthesia administration in paediatric dental patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the analgesic efficacy of Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) oil with a conventional 15 % w/w lidocaine topical spray in reducing pain perception during the administration of local anaesthesia in paediatric dental patients. METHODS: A total of 52 children, aged 6-10 years and meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were randomly divided into two equal groups (Group 1: Ajwain oil; Group 2: topical anaesthetic spray) using the chit method. Pain responses were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Wong-Baker Facial Pain Rating Scale (WBFPRS). RESULTS: Independent t-tests revealed statistically significant differences between Group 1 and Group 2 for both VAS and WBFPRS scores, with p values of 0.001 for each scale, indicating a significant reduction in pain perception in the Ajwain oil group. CONCLUSION: Ajwain oil shows potential as an effective alternative to conventional topical anaesthetic sprays for reducing injection pain in paediatric dental patients.