Efficacy of local anesthesia with cryotherapy on teeth with molar incisal hypomineralization: a randomized control trial.

Background: Tooth hypersensitivity presents a significant clinical challenge in managing molar-incisal hypomineralization (MIH), potentially compromising the effectiveness of restorative treatments. Cryotherapy has emerged as a promising approach to reduce pain and inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of cryotherapy as an adjuvant to nerve blocks in reducing operative pain and sensitivity in patients.

Methods: A split-mouth randomized controlled trial was conducted in 28 patients with MIH of the right and left lower molars. ie, 56 teeth. Group (1) control group (n = 28) was administered an Inferior Alveolar Nerve block and group (2) was administered cryotherapy spray after the Inferior Alveolar Nerve block. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scales were used to compare intraoperative pain. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the significance across the study groups, and the chi-square test was used to compare success rates between the two groups; a value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: For VAS scale, the mean value in Group A is 8.89 ± 0.79, whereas in Group B, the values are 4.71 ± 1.46. For the FLACC scale, Group A scores were 7.14 ± 1.04, and Group B scores were 4.48 ± 1.37. When intergroup values were compared, the FLACC and VAS scores were statistically significant at P < 0.001.

Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, applying cryotherapy to tooth surfaces following an Inferior Alveolar Nerve block effectively reduces pain and sensitivity in teeth affected by MIH.