Licking an unsweetened popsicle after dental treatment with local anesthesia reduces the feeling of discomfort and the biting of soft tissue and self-mutilation for pediatric patients, according a study in the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry (June 2, 2010).
Researchers from the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine assessed whether an unsweetened popsicle imparts a positive feeling to children and reduces their tendency to bite the lip, cheek, or tongue after dental treatment in which local anesthesia is administered.
The study included 31 children, ages 4-11, who needed dental treatments on both sides of the mandible or maxilla and required local anesthesia. At the end of each appointment, the child received a toy or a popsicle that had been specially made for this study.
Patients and parents answered a questionnaire regarding the children's behavior and feeling immediately after the treatment and 10 and 30 minutes after receiving the popsicle or toy.
The researchers found that the patients who received popsicles after their treatment felt less discomfort and suffered less soft-tissue trauma than those who received a toy. In addition, reduction in soft-tissue trauma was evident 10 minutes after receiving the popsicles.
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