Journal of South Asian Association of Pediatric Dentistry

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VOLUME 2 , ISSUE 1 ( January-June, 2019 ) > List of Articles

Original Article

Assessment and Comparison of Dental Anxiety by Measuring Physiological, Psychological and Immune Responses in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Noninvasive Dental Treatment

Sonali Saha, Gaurav Singh, Gurpreet Dhinsa, Dhritanayana Das, Gauri K Yadav

Keywords : Dental anxiety, Hemodynamic parameters, Salivary biomarkers, Stress

Citation Information : Saha S, Singh G, Dhinsa G, Das D, Yadav GK. Assessment and Comparison of Dental Anxiety by Measuring Physiological, Psychological and Immune Responses in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Noninvasive Dental Treatment. J South Asian Assoc Pediatr Dent 2019; 2 (1):14-21.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10077-3023

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 01-09-2018

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2019; The Author(s).


Abstract

Introduction: Pediatric dentistry has been associated with a lot of fear of pain and anxiety in children toward dental treatment. Therefore, the stress factor is higher in children visiting dentists, and this stress may increase or decrease in the subsequent visits depending on the treatment modality they are exposed to. Aim and objectives: The aim of this study is to assess and compare dental anxiety in pediatric patients during noninvasive dental treatment using salivary biomarkers (salivary cortisol, salivary ?-amylase, and salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA)) and hemodynamic parameters. Also, to test the correlation of dental anxiety with all the biomarkers using the Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS). Study design: Saliva samples were collected from 60 children aged (6-12 years) with at least two or more carious lesions. The stimulated saliva samples were collected before and after treatment at the first and second appointments, respectively. Methodology: Cardiovascular and salivary parameters including oxygen saturation, pulse rate, salivary cortisol, amylase, and IgA were assessed and co-related with the CDAS using the pulse oximeter, enzymatic method for amylase, immunoturbitidy method for IgA, and ELISA kit for salivary cortisol estimation. Results: There was a marked increase in salivary cortisol and amylase levels in new patients, while returning patients showed even higher cortisol levels and lower amylase levels. Conclusion: Estimation of salivary biomarkers and hemodynamic parameters proved to be an effective measure for the estimation of dental anxiety in pediatric patients.


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