Postoperative recovery after removal of a lower third molar: role of trait and dental anxiety

Received 11 May 2009; received in revised form 19 July 2009; accepted 19 July 2009.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate trait and dental anxiety influence on postoperative recovery after lower third molar surgery and to determine the effect of anxiety on surgery duration.

Study design

A prospective study was performed of 145 patients who underwent lower third molar extractions. Dental anxiety was evaluated using the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), Kleinknecht Dental Fear Survey (DFS), and the state anxiety scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Trait anxiety was measured with the trait anxiety scale of the STAI. Surgery duration, postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus were also recorded.

Results

Patients with high trait anxiety showed more pain according to all of the postoperative measures and to a significant degree in the last 2 postoperative days evaluated. Patients with high dental anxiety had greater trismus according to the DAS and to the dental stimuli dimension of the DFS. The average surgery time was higher in patients with high anxiety, for all of the measures used, although this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Patients with high trait or dental anxiety may tend to require longer surgery times and have poorer postoperative recovery.

a Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine Unit, Dental School, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

b Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela Spain

c Professor, Department of Methodology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiagode Compostela, Spain

d Professor of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

e Professor of Oral Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Head of Section, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Reprint requests: Dr. Marcio Diniz-Freitas, Facultad de Odontologia, Calle Entrerrios s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

PII: S1079-2104(09)00470-3

doi:10.1016/j.tripleo.2009.07.021

14 of 41