Comparative Evaluation of Pain Perception Following Topical Application of Clove Oil, EMLA 5%, and Lignocaine Hydrochloride Gel 2% as a Pre-anesthetic Agent in Children Aged 7-10 Years: A Randomized Controlled Study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The topical anesthetic potential of clove, despite its long-standing use in dentistry, remains largely underexplored in clinical research. Hence, the present study aims to compare the pain perception following topical application of clove oil, EMLA 5%, and lignocaine hydrochloride gel 2% in 7-10-year-old children in a randomized controlled trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized clinical study was undertaken on children aged 7-10 years, who were separated into three groups using computer-generated randomization. Group I: Clove oil, group II: EMLA 5%, and group III: lignocaine hydrochloride gel 2%. Prior to administering the local anesthetic, each group was given the specified topical anesthetic drug. Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (subjective) and Sound-Eye-Motor (SEM) scale (objective) were used for assessing pain. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. The dependent variables were represented as mean and standard deviation. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for the intergroup comparison of pain. RESULTS: All agents showed reduction in pain scores, while clove oil and EMLA showed comparable effectiveness. No significant difference was observed among groups. CONCLUSION: All three agents are effective pre-anesthetic agents. Clove oil can serve as a viable herbal alternative. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Clove oil demonstrates comparable efficacy to conventional topical anesthetics, offering a safe, natural, and cost-effective alternative for pain reduction in pediatric dentistry.