[Evaluation of cardiovascular response to stress in dental patients]

The purpose of this study was to record some clinical and psychological parameters in attempt to find out and to estimate patients with abnormal cardiovascular responses during dental therapy. On the basis of psychological questionnaires, used to value anxiety, resulted that patients who have self defined themselves anxious and therefore objectively nervous while in the dental chair, underwent cardiovascular responses significantly lower than those who were not anxious. Among the clinical parameters studied, blood pressure and the heart rate during basic conditions are not able to foresee hemodynamic responses during dental extraction. The only clinical situation able to relate to a corresponding regularity with an hemodynamic response during dental extraction, is the blood pressure determination during a provoked generic mental stress. These findings suggest that cardiovascular response during dental stress depends on the personal individual reaction of each individual.