Assessing Tramadol Hydrochloride as an Alternative to Lignocaine Hydrochloride in Dental Implant Procedures: A Randomized Trial.

Aim: To evaluate tramadol hydrochloride, an atypical opioid with potential analgesic properties, as a viable alternative to lignocaine hydrochloride in supraperiosteal anesthesia for dental implants.

Materials and methods: A split-mouth, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted in patients requiring maxillary dental implants. Patients meeting inclusion criteria received either 5% tramadol hydrochloride with adrenaline or 2% lignocaine hydrochloride with adrenaline via supraperiosteal infiltration. Onset, duration of anesthesia, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, and adverse effects were recorded.

Results: Forty patients were included, with a mean age of 39.35 years, 62.5% male. No significant differences were observed in VAS pain scores between tramadol (2.08 ± 1.328) and lignocaine (2.05 ± 1.260) groups (p = 0.931). Onset of anesthesia showed no significant difference between the tramadol (128.00 ± 18.207 seconds) and lignocaine (128.30 ± 18.287 seconds) groups (p = 0.736). The duration of anesthesia was comparable between tramadol (59 ± 12.092 minutes) and lignocaine (59.90 ± 11.705 minutes) groups (p = 0.0736). Adverse effects included nausea in two tramadol and one lignocaine patient.

Conclusion: Tramadol hydrochloride demonstrated comparable local anesthetic efficacy to lignocaine hydrochloride in dental implant surgery Clinical significance: Both drugs provided effective pain control with similar onset and duration of anesthesia. Tramadol may offer an alternative for patients with lignocaine contraindications, although further studies are warranted to validate its safety and efficacy in dental procedures. How to cite this article: Parlawar AN, Mundada BP. Assessing Tramadol Hydrochloride as an Alternative to Lignocaine Hydrochloride in Dental Implant Procedures: A Randomized Trial. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(7):639-644.