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Electronic Dental Anesthesia
 The medical profession has been recognizing the validity of using electricity in the management of pain since the early 1960's. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used for management of chronic and acute pain as well as some areas of sports medicine.
Theories on the mechanism of action of electrical stimulation of the nerve for pain control are many. One involves the release of endorphins and enkephalins after prolonged (over 10 minutes) exposure to electrical stimulation. Another postulates quicker healing may be aided by the muscle contraction and vasodilation provided during electric stimulation.
Recently, interest has surfaced over the TENS unit modified for dental use. A hands-on continuing education course in electronic dental anesthesia is recommended for any dental professional seriously considering application of this technique in daily practice. Successful technique is best learned in the controlled atmosphere of a class rather than experimentation during clinical practice.
Research supports the success rate of electronic dental anesthesia in restorative dentistry, nonsurgical periodontics, extractions, TMJ therapy, and MPD therapy. It has proved especially successful in conjunction with nitrous oxide-oxygen inhalation conscious sedation.
In many instances, proper use of electronic dental anesthesia results in the lack of need for local anesthetic and provides painless injections when used before administration. The patient controls the level of anesthesia needed, and once the unit is turned off, there is no numbness to recover from as with local.
Patients with pacemakers, neurophysiological disorders (like epilepsy) and pregnant women should not be offered electronic dental anesthesia because of potentially harmful side effects.
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Anesthesia
