Changes in urinary excretion of catecholamines and their metabolites in pediatric dental patients

To explain the changes in urinary excretion of catecholamines and their metabolites in pediatric dental patients, comparative measurements of three catecholamines (dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline), and five metabolites (3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, normetanephrine, metanephrine, homovanillic acid, and vanillylmandelic acid) were made before and after dental treatment. The investigations were carried out in seven healthy young children between three and five years of age. All these children had previously displayed negative behavior in dental treatment. There were statistically significant increases (P < 0.05) in urinary noradrenaline, adrenaline, and normetanephrine levels during dental treatment. These results suggest that these three substances could be a useful tool for determining the occurrence of dental stress in children.