Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the meaning and effect of the health assessment which was performed by a nurse before, during and after extraction of impacted supernumerary mesiodens. The assessment tool was developed by the nurses of University Dental Hospital, The University of Tokushima School of Dentistry. In this study based on the record of the assessment tool, the unpleasant behavior such as crying and struggling, as well as the pulse rate, the blood pressure and pain just after operation were analyzed. The results were as follows. Some of the children who had deciduous upper central incisors or no eruption of the permanent upper central incisors showed crying or struggling, but it was for a short time and they did not show a change in pulse rate and blood pressure. Some of the children who had half eruption of the permanent upper central incisors showed anxiety or fear not by crying or struggling but in the change of pulse rate and/or blood pressure. It was suggested that the health assessment was very useful and that the information of the health assessment before, during and just after the operation given by the nurse to the dentist (operator) was very important for the prevention of anxiety or fear and conducive to good healing.
