2014 Volume 57 Issue 6 Pages 519-529
Purpose: In order to provide safe dental treatment, its systemic influence should be well understood. Accordingly, we developed a novel system for evaluating autonomic nervous activity during dental treatment. This study examined the variability of autonomic nervous activity during local anesthesia and ultrasonic scaling in healthy young volunteers.
Methods: Blood pressure, heart rate and autonomic nervous activity were measured using the novel system in 10 subjects aged in their 20 s as follows: in both the sitting (2 min) and supine positions (2 min) before treatment; under local anesthesia (2 min); during ultrasonic scaling (5 min); and in the sitting position after treatment (2 min). R-R intervals obtained from electrocardiogram were divided into high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF) components by power spectrum analysis in order to evaluate autonomic nervous activity. HF components reflect parasympathetic nervous activity while LF/HF reflects sympathetic nervous activity. Data were analyzed using the Steel-Dwass test.
Results: Blood pressure and heart rate values did not differ significantly between treatments. Parasympathetic nervous activity values tended to increase under local anesthesia and during ultrasonic scaling. Conversely, sympathetic nervous activity values decreased significantly under local anesthesia and ultrasonic scaling compared with that in the sitting position before treatment. Our results suggest that emotional stress may influence autonomic nervous activity more than noxious stimuli during local anesthesia and ultrasonic scaling in healthy young adults.
Conclusion: Sympathetic nervous activity decreases significantly during local anesthesia and ultrasonic scaling compared with that in the sitting position before treatment in healthy young adults.
