Comparison of Preoperative and Postoperative Anxiety Levels in Patients Undergoing Tooth Extraction

BACKGROUND Anxiety experienced during oral surgery can disrupt the patient's physiological balance, make the procedure more difficult to perform, and increase stress for the surgeon. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in dental anxiety levels before and after tooth extraction according to age and sex. MATERIAL AND METHODS This prospective observational study included 400 patients undergoing tooth extraction. Anxiety levels were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State (STAI-S) and -Trait (STAI-T) and the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) before and after the procedure. Patients were grouped by age (13-19, 20-34, 35-49, and 50+ years) and sex. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests, with significance set at P<0.05. RESULTS Preoperative and postoperative DAS, STAI-S, and STAI-T scores were significantly elevated in female patients compared with male patients (P<0.05). Anxiety levels decreased with age, with adolescents showing the highest anxiety scores and older adults the lowest. A statistically significant difference was observed in DAS and STAI-S scores among different age groups (P<0.05), but not in STAI-T scores (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Anxiety levels in patients undergoing tooth extraction vary significantly based on age and sex. These findings suggest that implementing targeted strategies to reduce anxiety, especially in adolescents and women, may enhance patient comfort and improve treatment outcomes.