Avinash Kavarthapu, Hussain Sharmila, Santhoshini Reddy

Abstract

Pain, anxiety, and stress are different terms of the same entity, which makes the patient restless and uncooperative during any dental procedures. There are different kinds of techniques which were proposed to reduced stress and thereby pain during the procedures. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of these alternative techniques in the reduction of stress during dental extraction. Hundred patients, both male and female, in the age group of 15–50 years, were taken as a sample that had to undergo extraction. They were randomly assigned into four groups. Group 1 underwent extraction with no measures of explanation or reduction in anxiety; group 2 underwent extraction where explanation regarding the procedure was given but no aviation methods; group 3 in which patient who underwent extraction was explained about the procedure in music was added as an aviation method; group 4 in which patient who underwent extraction was explained about the procedure and alternative hypnosis using distraction is used. All four groups were subjected to questionnaire before and after extraction procedure, and results of pain levels were recorded in a scales from 1 to 10. Results showed that the group with music showed a good decreased level of anxiety post-operatively, followed by distraction and explanation with a mean value of 8.48, 8.24, and 7.68, respectively. The anxiety levels are higher in males when compared with females. Within the limits of the study, the results show that music reduces pain perception by aviation anxiety in patients undergoing extraction. To the lesser extent, extraction had distraction and instruction may also be used to reduce anxiety in patients. This study helps to understand that reducing anxiety through any one of the technique might be an effective way of pain reduction during the dental surgical procedure.