Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026
09:05
Meal Duration as a Measure of Orofacial Nociceptive Responses in Rodents
Published on: January 10, 2014
7.0K
Factors associated with pain induced by orthodontic separators
V J Beck1, M Farella, N P Chandler
1Discipline of Orthodontics, Department of Oral Sciences, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Journal of Oral Rehabilitation
|February 4, 2014
Summary
Individual pain responses to orthodontic separators vary. Pain catastrophizing, dental anxiety, and cold sensitivity significantly influence orthodontic pain perception, suggesting potential screening methods for at-risk patients.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics
- Pain Management
- Psychology
Background:
- Orthodontic treatment often causes pain, but individual responses vary significantly.
- The underlying factors contributing to this variability in orthodontic pain are not fully understood.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for improving patient comfort and treatment adherence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential factors associated with variations in orthodontic pain following the application of orthodontic separators.
- To identify psychological and physiological markers that differentiate high and low pain responders.
Main Methods:
- 107 participants were assessed for pain response over 48 hours after placement of orthodontic elastomeric separators.
- High (n=10) and low (n=10) pain responders were identified.
- Data collected included tooth pain sensitivity to electrical stimulation, Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), and cold pressor test (CPT).
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences were found between high- and low-pain responders in catastrophizing scores (P ≤ 0.023) and dental anxiety scores (P = 0.043).
- Higher PCS scores increased the relative risk of being a high-pain responder (RR=1.6, P=0.002), while higher helplessness scores decreased this risk.
- High-pain responders reported more pain during the cold pressor test (P ≤ 0.029) and had twice as high DAS scores compared to low-pain responders.
Conclusions:
- Pain catastrophizing, dental anxiety, and cold sensitivity appear to significantly modify the pain experienced after orthodontic separator placement.
- Tooth pain thresholds did not differ between high and low pain responders.
- Further research is warranted to explore screening tools for identifying patients at risk of experiencing significant orthodontic pain.
