Comparative efficacy of different topical anesthetics to reduce the perception of pain during intraoral anesthesia: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Review question / Objective: This systematic review aims to investigate which is the best topical anesthesia marketed and used by dentists in an attempt to reduce pain (oral punctures and injections) in the maxillary and mandibular region, by applying a frequentist network meta-analysis approach. To achieve the proposed objective, the following question was used: " What topical anesthesia is more effective in reducing perceived pain (punctures and needle injections) when performing dental anesthetic techniques? Condition being studied: Evaluate what is the best topical anesthetic used in infant, young adult and adult patients to reduce pain during puncture and anesthetic injection.