Vanaja Krishna Naik¹, Aruna Balasundaram², Devapriya Appukuttan², Deepavalli Arumuga Nainar³, Michael Robert Milward⁴, Dhayanand John Victor², Mohammed Junaid^5
1Department of Periodontics, SRM Dental College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; The School of Dentistry, College of Medical and Dental Sciences,University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
²Department of Periodontics, SRM Dental College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
³Department of Periodontics, Ragas Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
⁴The School of Dentistry, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
⁵Department of Public Health Dentistry, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
DOI: 10.4103/jnsbm.JNSBM_70_17

ABSTRACT

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare preprocedural dental anxiety levels and postprocedural pain perception in chronic periodontitis patients during conventional-staged root surface debridement (RSD) and single-stage RSD. Materials and Methods: Thirty-seven adult generalized chronic periodontitis patients requiring RSD were recruited in this study. Preprocedural anxiety levels were assessed using a self-reported questionnaire and postprocedural pain perceptions were assessed using 0–10 cm visual analog scale. The subject population was divided into two groups: staged RSD (n = 18) and single-stage RSD (n = 19). Staged RSD patients visited four times as opposed to single-stage RSD patients. Data were subjected to Pearson Chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U-test, and Spearman’s rank correlation. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in dental anxiety levels or pain perceptions in both the groups. Within Group 1, there was statistical significant difference in dental anxiety levels between visit 4 and visit 3 (P = 0.037) and pain perception between visit 3 and visit 1 (P = 0.005), visit 4 and visit 1 (P = 0.002), and visit 4 and visit 2 (0.04) was statistically significant. There was a positive correlation of anxiety questionnaire (Q1–Q4) to the pain score in Group 1 which was statistically significant and in single-stage RSD. Conclusion: Conventional quadrant-wise RSD tends to cognitively condition the anxiety experience thus influencing pain experience.

Keywords: Chronic periodontitis, Dental anxiety, Pain, patient-centered outcomes, Root surface debridement, Visual analog scale.