Bresslergroup, in association with Dr Steven Goldberg, has launched an easy to use tool DentalVibe at the Chicago Midwinter Dental Meeting.
Dental Vibe employs ‘Gate Control Theory’ of pain management, creating a diversion for the brain. The DentalVibe hand held tool vibrates the oral mucosa (gum tissue) surrounding the injection site. These rapid vibrations are processed in the patient’s brain, while the injection is simultaneously administered. The patient’s brain registers the vibrations, not the pain.
The DentalVibe instrument also retracts the lips and illuminates the injection area. These additional features help avoid accidental needle sticks and enhance operator visibility. The microprocessor controlled VibraPulse technology sends a pulsed, percussive form of vibration. The vibratory stimulation travels along the A-beta nerve fibers and is transmitted quickly to the brain. Pain sensations travel along the slower C fibers.
Bresslergroup is in the business of helping companies to define and design new products. Through research they determined that steady vibration would quickly be decoded and ignored by the brain. The breakthrough discovery was to engineer an intermittent pulse applying vibration for a brief period, followed by a quick stillness period.
David Schiff, Bresslergroup director of Engineering, said: “We designed the DentalVibe tool with a stop and start vibration pattern that continually tricks the brain and masks the pain of the injection.”