Abstract
Psychological palmar sweating is a manifestation of emotional changes such as anxiety, fear and anger. To evaluate the degree of anxiety and tension in pediatric patients in a dental office, the amount of psychological palmar sweating was measured in pediatric patients at four different intervals during their office visit : 1) while in the waiting room, 2) at the time of introduction to the dental chair, 3) during tooth brushing, and 4) during cavity preparation.Results :In both boys and girls, palmar sweating was highest at the time of introduction to the dental chair,followed by the time during cavity preparation and during tooth brushing, and was lowest while inthe waiting room. The average amount of sweating was greater in female children than male children at all four intervals, but the differences were not statistically significant.In boys, palmar sweating was significantly higher at the introduction to the dental chair than while in the waiting room or during tooth brushing. In girls, palmar sweating was significantly higher at the introduction to the dental chair than during any of the other intervals.The present study suggests that measuring the amount of palmar sweating is a useful method for assessing the emotional state of children who cannot fully articulate it themselves.
