Utility of the Salivary Alpha-amylase to Evaluate the Stress of Dental Treatment in Handicapped Children

Abstract

To evaluate unpleasant stress quickly and to objectively grasp whether or not there is a case which brings about hinderance to the dental treatment because of unpleasant stress and the degree to which patients are stressed in dental treatment is an important problem. In this research, we measured the saliva activation of the alpha-amylase on the chair side and did a comparative examination of the stress of the ordinary children and the handicapped children in dental treatment. Osaka Dental University attachment hospital pediatric dentistry and the disabled person dentistry has 58 ordinary children and 34handicapped children from 2 to 15 years old. We measured wether the alpha-amylase is activated before and after treatment with the colorimeter method using the portable-type amylase activated analyzer (made by Yamaha Motor Corporation). For the ordinary children, by the maladaptive behavior, there is significant difference (p<0.05) in the salivary alpha-amylase activity.
On the other hand, an intentional change wasn't admitted by the ha ndicapped children. The handicapped children had salivary alpha-amylase activity rise significantly (p<0.05) between “before treatment”and “after treatment”. Also, because the activated change of the alpha-amylase wasn't admitted when the various treatment contents were classified, it was difficult to evaluate the stress of the handicapped children quantitatively using the saliva activation of the alpha-amylase. As a way of objectively evaluating the stress of the ordinary children, the salivary alpha-amylase activity was useful. The activated measurement of the alpha-amylase of the saliva was also useful. It is thought that the new biomarker which changes with the saliva activation of the alpha-amylase is necessary for there to be a mechanism of replying to stress and the possibility that the reactivity is different between ordinary children and handicapped children and to evaluate the stress of the handicapped children objectively.