Dental injections are never completely pain-free. But there are a few things that you can do to make it better, and possibly avoid a needlestick injury. Here are some practical tips for dealing with injections. 

1. Massage the area.

After you deliver the anesthetic to the area, massage the injection site by applying pressure with your fingers. This will help to calm the muscles in the area. 

2. Distract. Distract. Distract.

Use your communication skills to distract the patient to reduce their anxiety. Playing music could also help entertain or relax them.

3. Don’t hesitate.

The injection is administered in a single movement that requires a combination of decisiveness and smooth delivery, both when the needle is inserted and when it’s taken out. Locate the anatomical markers for the injection site and proceed.

4. Use a fine, ultra-sharp needle.

Using a needle with a small diameter will help you avoid releasing too much medication at once, which can cause pain. Safer needles like SimpleCAP utilize an ultra-sharp lancet cut needle, which makes it more comfortable for you and the patient.

5. Inject slowly.

You’ve probably heard that injecting a drug slowly and continuously helps to avoid pain. The general rule is to administer the drug no quicker than 1 milliliter per 10 seconds.