Psychometric and biohormonal indices of dental anxiety in children. A prospective cohort study

摘要: The stress of dental treatment often elicits negative emotions in children, expressed as fear or anxiety. Highly anxious children obstruct and avoid therapy, further amplifying oral health problems. aim this study was to examine the neuroendocrine autonomic nervous system responses their possible interactions associations with psychometric indices anxiety, caries, previous experience, anesthesia, age gender school children. Upon informed consent, saliva obtained from 97 (59% males, mean age ±  SD: 89.73 ± 15 months) Clinic pediatric dentistry before treatment, immediately post-treatment at recall visit determine cortisol salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) levels. Dental general anxiety assessed through specific questionnaires completed by Compared pre-treatment, levels were increased following while sAA higher recall. Pre- positively correlated. questionnaire scores also significantly correlated each other. integrated prior state those However, univariable multivariable linear regression analysis associated cortisol, but not sAA, No age, gender, experience anesthesia detected. These data provide some evidence that both are altered anticipation during only