Evaluation of Dental Anxiety before Root Canal Therapy in Patients with Symptomatic Pulpitis Referred to School of Dentistry in 2023

Maryam Kazemipoor; Mahdieh Jafari Harafte; Fatemeh Owlia; Mehdi Tabrizizadeh

doi:10.18502/ssu.v33i5.19325

Maryam Kazemipoor Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Mahdieh Jafari Harafte Dentist, School of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Fatemeh Owlia Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, School of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Mehdi Tabrizizadeh Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ssu.v33i5.19325

Keywords: Dental anxiety, Dental care, Pain, Pulpitis, Root Canal Therapy.

Abstract

Introduction: Dental anxiety is a well-recognized barrier to accessing dental treatment and is considered as a global public health concern. This study aimed to evaluate pre-treatment dental anxiety in the patients with Symptomatic Pulpitis referred to the School of Dentistry in 2023.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 97 patients aged 18 or older with symptomatic pulpitis who were referred for root canal therapy at the school of Dentistry. Demographic characteristics, pain intensity scores, history of previous painful experiences, and current pain levels were recorded. Anxiety in Patients was measured using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) questionnaire. Following data collection, statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 17, then t-tests were executed.

Results: The average pain score and anxiety score of the patients were 5.799 ± 2.662 and 12.721 ± 5.316, respectively. Women indicated significantly higher dental anxiety (P = 0.001). A statistically significant difference in dental anxiety scores was observed based on the presence or absence of previous painful experiences (P = 0.017).

Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, the level of dental anxiety was higher in women and individuals who had experienced pain during previous treatments. The results of this study can act as a reference for assessing and managing dental pain and anxiety in individuals with a higher risk of anxiety.