Dental acupuncture

PURPOSE: Laser acupuncture, a non-invasive variant of acupuncture, has been proven effective in the medical and dental fields. Hence, the present study aims to determine the effect of low-level laser therapy on the LI4 point, using a laser acupuncture pen, in reducing children's pain during local anesthetic (LA) administration. METHODS: Children in the age range of 8-12 years, in need of LA administration, were randomly assigned to two groups: Group I: laser acupuncture, Group II: control...

Precise and on-demand release of sufficient hydrogen (H2 ) to tumor sites remains a key challenge for emerging H2 -oncotherapy, and little is known about the physiological effects of "abundant" H2 on complex tumor microenvironments (TME). Here, a highly efficient and cost-effective imaging-guided/-assessed H2 -therapy of tumors based on a joint electrochemo-sonodynamic treatment (H2 -EC/SD co-therapy) with strong "domino effect" triggered by endogenous H2 generation at tumor sites is reported to speedily eliminate tumor tissue (≤80 mm3 ) within 1 day...

AIMS: Auriculotherapy is a therapeutic method of traditional Chinese Medicine in which a stimulus is exerted on the ear and activates energy channels throughout the body, helping to control anxiety, stress, pain, inflammation, illnesses chronic, and possibly can be used in patient with Arnold Chiari Malformation type II who have painful symptoms that are difficult to resolve. Thus, the aim of this article is to present a case in a patient with Chiari Malformation II where auriculotherapy and effect of laser therapy were performed, to relieve symptoms of agitation, anxiety and healing of self-mutilation injuries...

BACKGROUND: Anxiety is an important problem in children in dental clinics. Acupressure may be a useful tool to assist in dental procedures in anxious children. OBJECTIVES: This pilot study was performed to examine the effects of acupressure on dental anxiety in children undergoing restorative procedures. METHODS: Fourteen children aged 7-10 years and with at least one primary molar with caries on the dentine were included in the study. The participants also needed to score at least one point on the modified Venham Picture Test (VPTm) for the determination of anxiety...

AIMS: The aim of this study is to see if microcurrent electrical stimulation on two acupoints, auricular and Hegus, can help patients prevent their gag reflex. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was an in vivo cross-sectional study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients were randomly assigned to three groups: A, B, or C, of ten patients present in each group. Group A and Group B undergone electroacupuncture (microcurrent electrical stimulation) using electroacupuncture device on auricular point and Hegus point (Li 4), respectively, for 1 min and Group C formed the placebo group, point Shou San Li (Li 10)...

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that both acupuncture and dry needling are effective in the treatment of musculoskeletal pains. Therefore, the aim of this network meta-analysis (NMA) was to investigate the treatment outcome of acupuncture and dry-needling for masticatory muscle pain (TMD-M) and to compare with active and inactive placebo. MATERIAL AND METHOD: An electronic search was performed to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published until September 2019, comparing dry-needling, acupuncture, and inactive as well as active placebo in patients with TMD-M...

The increasing influence of alternative therapies reflects shifting demands and attitudes in modern society in general. Concerns about the negative impacts and rising expenses of traditional health care are also fueling the hunt for alternatives. Acupuncture, acupressure, homeopathy, Ayurveda, and hypnosis are examples of therapy modalities. Alternative therapies, on the other hand, are currently recommended as a supplement to traditional treatment. Although their efficacy as a standalone therapy is debatable, when used in conjunction with conventional treatment, they can be a valuable addition to the general dentist's therapeutic arsenal...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of laser acupuncture on controlling gag reflexes by stimulating pericardium 6 (PC6) and conception vessel 24 (CV24) acupuncture points in patients in need of taking dental impressions. METHODS: In this randomized controlled double-blinded clinical trial study, in 30 patients aged 20-60 years, alginate impressions were taken in the prosthetic and orthodontic clinic at the Dental School of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran...

BACKGROUND Bell's palsy, also called facial nerve palsy, occasionally co-occurs with trigeminal neuropathy, which presents as additional facial sensory symptoms and/or neck pain. Bell's palsy has a proposed viral etiology, in particular when occurring after dental manipulation. CASE REPORT A 52-year-old Asian woman presented to a chiropractor with a 3-year history of constant neck pain and left-sided maxillary, eyebrow, and temporomandibular facial pain, paresis, and paresthesia, which began after using a toothpick, causing possible gum trauma...

Anxiety is an adaptive emotional response to potentially threatening or dangerous situations; moderated by the sympathetic nervous system. Dental anxiety is common and presents before, during or after dental treatment. The physiological response includes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and cardiac output. Consequently, extensive distress leads to avoidance of dental treatment and multiple failed appointments, impacting both oral and general health. Dental anxiety can generate a variety of negative consequences for both the dentist and the patient...

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) uses a holistic approach that finds natural solutions that help the immune system to fight off infection and diseases. In conventional medicine, the diseases are treated as a series of symptoms developed and not its actual cause or etiology, but CAM commonly targets the exact cause of the disorder thereby stimulating the body's healing process. This is based on an integrative literature review of methods and techniques used as complementary and alternative approaches for oral health care...

Objective: Gagging is a problem for many dental patients, as well as patients undergoing medical procedures, such as intubation. Research to date on the gag reflex has been limited by a lack of objective measures for measuring this reflex. Materials and Methods: A validated quantitative method was used to measure if acupuncture or transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) at Pericardium 6 (PC 6) and Stomach 36 (ST 36) suppressed the gag reflex, compared with a sham placebo. The subjects were 60 healthy adults randomly chosen to receive acupuncture, TEAS, or sham-TEAS on PC 6, located on the forearm, and ST 36, located on the lower leg...

BACKGROUND: Pain is a multidimensional construct that involves sensory, emotional, and cognitive processes. It is an essential component of child behavior guidance. The injection of a local anesthetic agent during pediatric dental treatment is one of the most painful and distressing procedures performed, stimulation of acupoint LI4 provides an analgesic effect in the orofacial region, thus decreasing the pain during injection. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To compare and evaluate the effect of low-level laser on LI4 acupoint and surface-acting 20% benzocaine gel during local anesthesia...

Background: While many health care providers have shifted toward telehealth services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about the perception and acceptance of such services, particularly among vulnerable populations. Veterans, who are at increased risk of physical and mental health needs, may benefit from the use and availability of telehealth services. Materials and Methods: Cross sectional survey data related to telehealth use, satisfaction, and access were collected through an online survey...

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of laser acupuncture and intravascular laser irradiation of blood (ILIB) for managing anxiety in pediatric dentistry. Eighty-four children recruited at a university dental clinic were randomly assigned to three groups: the Sham group (n = 27) underwent sham laser irradiation of three acupuncture points, the ILIB group (n = 25) underwent 10 min of ILIB, and the laser acupuncture group (LAC, n = 32) underwent 40 s of laser acupuncture over points VG20 (Baihui), PC6 (Neiguan), and the Oppression Point...

Localized cutaneous argyria is a rare cutaneous disorder that has been associated with occupational exposure, dental procedures, topical agents, acupuncture, earrings, and nasal piercings. In this paper, we review the current literature on localized cutaneous argyria, highlight its clinical and histologic diagnostic features, and then discuss the clinical and histological differential diagnoses for blue-gray skin and black dermal pigment, respectively. We also discuss the utility of ancillary techniques, such as deeper histologic levels, special stains, darkfield microscopy, and advanced micro-analytical techniques in helping diagnose localized cutaneous argyria...

Objectives: State (situational) anxiety can create suboptimal outcomes for patients across a variety of health care specializations. While anxiolytic medications reduce anxiety, problematic side effects can compromise outcomes. These challenges have spurred searches for nonpharmaceutical approaches to alleviate patient anxiety. This systematic literature review, largely following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, aimed to determine patterns and effectiveness of interventions across medical health care specialty areas, including dentistry...

Objectives: A previous systematic literature review (SLR) evaluated 501 experiments on reducing patient anxiety across medical and dental environments. This integrative review examines those interventions and explores possible mechanisms leading to relative success or failure within those environments, in the interest of interprofessional education and communication. Methods: Reviewers evaluated 501 experiments testing interventions for reducing patient anxiety in a variety of medical and dental health care settings...

The optical fiber temperature and refractive index sensor combined with the hollow needle structure for medical treatment can promote the standardization of traditional acupuncture techniques and improve the accuracy of body fluid analysis. A double-parameter sensor based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is developed in this paper. The sensor materials are selected through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and the sensor sensing principle is theoretically analyzed and simulated. Through femtosecond laser writing pure silica fiber, a high temperature resistant wavelength type FBG temperature sensor is obtained, and the FBG is corroded by hydrofluoric acid (HF) to realize a high-sensitivity intensity-type refractive index sensor...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of two traditional acupuncture protocols on pain relief in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients using either local or distal acupoints for mechanical needle stimulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample was selected from female TMD patients with chronic pain from a specialized referral center. Clinical charts were retrieved to select patients treated by traditional acupuncture following either a protocol for application of needles in local acupoints (head, neck) or a protocol for application in distal acupoints (hands, legs, feet)...