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Anticipated and experienced pain associated with endodontic therapy
Catherine A Watkins1, Henrietta L Logan, H Lester Kirchner
1Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1010, USA.
Journal of the American Dental Association (1939)
|January 29, 2002
Summary
Patients often experience less pain during endodontic therapy (ET) than anticipated. Younger individuals and women tend to anticipate higher pain, but actual experienced pain levels vary by age and sex.
Area of Science:
- Dental Medicine
- Pain Research
Background:
- Endodontic therapy (ET) involves managing patient pain perception.
- Understanding anticipated versus experienced pain is crucial for patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare anticipated and experienced pain levels in patients undergoing endodontic therapy.
- To identify patient and dental characteristics influencing pain perception during ET.
Main Methods:
- 333 adult patients evaluated pain and unpleasantness before and after ET.
- Dentists provided clinical evaluations and rated patient pain during treatment.
Main Results:
- 43% anticipated high pain, but only 22% experienced high pain and 18% high unpleasantness.
- Younger patients and women anticipated higher pain; experienced pain decreased with age.
- Dentist pain ratings correlated more with female patients' experiences.
Conclusions:
- Experienced pain during ET is often less than anticipated.
- Age and sex influence pain anticipation and experience; dentists' awareness varies by patient sex.
- Practitioners should tailor communication for younger and female patients and engage male patients more effectively.