SynthesisSystematic reviews2026
Investigating the efficacy of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to local anesthesia in dentistry: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Systematic reviews, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDexmedetomidine (DEX) has been considered an effective adjunct to dental local anesthetics. Uncertainty about its efficacy and safety in dental use still remains.
objectivesThis study is primarily designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of DEX as an adjunct to local anesthesia in dental procedures.
methodsThis study followed PRISMA guidelines. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251035026). Outcomes were onset time, anesthesia duration, postoperative analgesia duration, post operative pain, sedation, and adverse events. Searches covered PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Risk of bias was assessed with Cochrane RoB 2 and ROBINS-I. RevMan 5.1 pooled mean differences and assessed heterogeneity. Sensitivity analyses and publication bias were examined in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis v3.7. Certainty of evidence was rated with GRADE.
resultsThis meta-analysis encompassed sixteen controlled clinical trials comprising 658 participants. The addition of DEX decreased onset time by 48.78 s (95% CI: 64.22 to 33.35 s, p < 0.00001). This reduction is unlikely to be clinically significant in routine dental practice. DEX extended anesthesia duration by 31.10 min (95% CI: 13.77 to 48.43 min, p = 0.0004), and prolonged postoperative analgesic duration by 186.19 min (95% CI: 109.09 to 263.29 min, p < 0.00001), although both findings demonstrate substantial uncertainty due to unexplained heterogeneity (I
conclusionsDexmedetomidine as an adjunct to dental local anesthesia may reduce onset time, extend anesthesia duration, and postoperative analgesia with a favorable hemodynamic safety profile; however, substantial unexplained heterogeneity and modest sample size limit confidence in these estimates. Current evidence does not support routine clinical use; standardized, adequately powered trials are needed before definitive recommendations can be made.
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