Articaine versus lidocaine for third molar surgery: A randomized clinical study

Objective: Pain reduction has been the subject of continuous research in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery since postoperative pain with ranging of intensity and duration may affects the patient submitted in an oral surgical procedure. The aim of present study was to compare the analgesic effectiveness between two different anesthetic solutions (articaine and lidocaine) in third molar surgery. Study Design: A prospective, randomized and clinical study with patients submitted to third molar surgery at two distinct times. The visual analogue scale, the McGill Pain Questionnaire and the analgesic consumption record were used to measure the pain after each surgical time. Results: Duration of surgery, latency, the amount of anesthetic used and analgesic consumption showed clinical differences with highlights of articaine, though statistical significance was not observed (P<0.05). The pain scores indicated similar anesthetic efficacy with both solutions. Conclusion: In the present study no significant differences were observed between lidocaine and articaine in the control of postoperative pain. Key words: Articaine, lidocaine, pain control, lower third molar.