Assessment of Clinical Parameters of Dental Anxiety during Noninvasive Treatments in Dentistry

Dental anxiety is a matter of interest for the dentist since an anxious patient is a potential source of complications in the dental office. The main objectives of this study are to describe the correlation between dental anxiety levels and the values of physiological parameters related to dental an...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gil-Abando Lozano, Gabriela, Medina, Paula, Signorini, Carolina Verónica, Casañas, Elisabeth, Navarrete Marabini, Natalia María, Muñoz Corcuera, Marta
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universidad Europea (UEM)
Repositorio:ABACUS. Repositorio de Producción Científica
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:abacus.universidadeuropea.com:11268/11782
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11268/11782
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ansiedad al tratamiento odontológico
Hipertensión
Odontología
Tratamiento médico
Efectos psicológicos
Descripción
Sumario:Dental anxiety is a matter of interest for the dentist since an anxious patient is a potential source of complications in the dental office. The main objectives of this study are to describe the correlation between dental anxiety levels and the values of physiological parameters related to dental anxiety and to study the evolution of blood pressure and heart rate over time during noninvasive dental treatments, i.e., not requiring local anesthesia. A descriptive, longitudinal, and prospective observational study was designed. The study population consisted of 200 patients who attended a university clinic for dental treatment without local anesthesia. The patients were asked to complete the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale. Afterward, blood pressure and heart rate were measured by means of a digital sphygmomanometer. Blood pressure and heart rate were taken throughout the procedure on four occasions. Most of the patients showed mild dental anxiety (5 [IQR: 3] points on Corah Dental Anxiety Scale). Significant but weak correlations were found between the level of dental anxiety and heart rate (Spearman rho: 0.166 and 0.176; p = 0.019 and 0.013; 3 min before and after treatment, respectively), as well as between the level of dental anxiety and the duration of treatment (Spearman rho: 0.191 3 min; p = 0.007). As for the evolution of physiological parameters, all patients showed a progressive decrease in values at different time points during treatment. When the types of treatment were evaluated separately, it was observed that there were statistically significant differences between them with respect to the level of dental anxiety (p = 0.006).