Computer-Assisted Anaesthesia (The Wand)

The device uses computer control and a foot control to deliver anaesthetic at programmed pressure and volume rates. It can be used for buccal, palatal, intraligamental infiltration and block techniques.

Computer-assisted delivery changes how the anaesthetic enters the tissues; it does not replace the need for local anaesthetic or the clinical technique used for the injection. The evidence compares discomfort and behaviour, rather than promising that every injection will be painless.

A traditional syringe relies on the operator to control the injection manually. CCLAD regulates the flow electronically, and trials found lower reported pain scores with computer-assisted equipment than with traditional delivery.

The reviewed trials included children and adults. Computer-assisted equipment was associated with lower pain perception and more cooperative behaviour, which may matter for children and adults who feel apprehensive about injections.

The system can provide pulpal anaesthesia for multiple maxillary teeth from one injection while aiming to minimise the dose and collateral anaesthesia. It can still produce the ordinary effects and risks of local anaesthetic delivery, so the technique and dose remain clinically important.