Pre Procedural Anxiety and Pain Perception following Root Surface Debridement in Chronic Periodontitis Patients

Background: To evaluate and compare pre procedural dental anxiety levels and post procedural pain perception in chronic periodontitis patients during conventional staged root surface debridement (RSD) and single stage RSD.

Materials and methods: 37 adult generalised chronic periodontitis patients requiring root surface debridement were recruited in this study. Pre procedural anxiety levels were assessed using a self reported questionnaire and post procedural pain perceptions were assessed using 0-10 cm VAS. The subject population were 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) were 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.