Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014 Dec 1;6(5):e562-8.
doi: 10.4317/jced.51586. eCollection 2014 Dec.

Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) in dentistry- A review

Vikrant Kasat  1 , Aditi Gupta  2 , Ruchi Ladda  3 , Mitesh Kathariya  4 , Harish Saluja  5 , Anjum-Ara Farooqui  6
Affiliations
Review

Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) in dentistry- A review

Vikrant Kasat et al. J Clin Exp Dent. .

Abstract

Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) is a non-pharmacological method which is widely used by medical and paramedical professionals for the management of acute and chronic pain in a variety of conditions. Similarly, it can be utilized for the management of pain during various dental procedures as well as pain due to various conditions affecting maxillofacial region. This review aims to provide an insight into clinical research evidence available for the analgesic and non analgesic uses of TENS in pediatric as well as adult patients related to the field of dentistry. Also, an attempt is made to briefly discuss history of therapeutic electricity, mechanism of action of TENS, components of TENs equipment, types, techniques of administration, advantages and contradictions of TENS. With this we hope to raise awareness among dental fraternity regarding its dental applications thereby increasing its use in dentistry. Key words:Dentistry, pain, TENS.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement:The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
a) AC adapter; b) 9V battery; c) TENS unit; d) Lead wires; e)Electrodes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Radhakrishnan R, King EW, Dickman JK, Herold CA, Johnston NF, Spurgin ML. Spinal 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors mediate low, but not high, frequency TENS-induced antihyperalgesia in rats. Pain. 2003;105:205–13. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Katch EM. Application of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in dentistry. Anesth Prog. 1986;33:156–60. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Banerjee G, Johnson MI. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): A potential intervention for pain management in India? Indian J Pain. 2013;27:132–41.
    1. Dhindsa A, Pandit IK, Srivastav N, Gugnani N. Comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of electronic dental anaesthesia with 2% lignocaine in various minor pediatric dental procedures: a clinical study. Contemp Clin Dent. 2011;2:27–30. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Malamed SF, Quinn CL, Torgersen RT, Thompson W. Electronic dental anesthesia for restorative dentistry. Anesth Prog. 1989;36:195–8. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources