Cloves versus Benzocaine as Topical Anesthetics: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives: The aims of this study was to (i) investigate the efficacy and (ii) compare the topical anesthetic effects of cloves and benzocaine (20%) to reduce pain from needle stick. Methods: Topical agents were applied to the maxillary canine buccal mucosa of 73 volunteers. Four substances were tested in the study (1) home made cloves gel, (2) benzocaine 20% gel, (3) placebo that resembles cloves and (4) placebo that resembles benzocaine. After 5 minutes of material application in a randomized, subject blinded manner, each subject received two needle sticks. Pain response was registered using a 100mm visual analogue pain scale. Results: Both cloves and benzocaine gels had significantly lower mean pain scores than placebos (p=0.005). No significant difference was found between cloves and benzocaine with regards to pain scores. Conclusion: It is concluded that cloves gel might posses a potential to replace benzocaine as a topical agent before needle insertion.