Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the stress responses during dental procedures in adults and children. Dental school students and patients of the Pediatric Dental Clinic, Okayama University Dental School were subjects and were divided into two groups. Study 1 consisted of 80 dental school students (64 men and 16 women). Study 2 consisted of 32 three-to-five-year old patients (17 boys and 15 girls). The changes of nasal skin temperature using thermography during dental procedures in adults and children were evaluated and results are summarized as follows: A high proportion of the adults (90.8%) and children (81.3% on the first and second visits,59.1% on the third visit)showed significant differences between the mean temperature while waiting and during anesthesia.
Of those who showed significant differences, there were the decreased (waiting›anesthesia) and the increased patterns (waiting‹anesthesia). The proportion of the decreased pattern (88.4%) was larger than that of the increased pattern (11.6%) in adults. On the other hand, in children the proportion of the increased pattern (69.2%,61.5% and 76.9%, respectively) was larger than the decreased pattern in each visit. The results of this study indicate that the physiological responses of stress could have the difference between adults and children. This might be due to the emotional development and learning effects concerning with the cognition of being anesthetized.
