Assessment of Dental Anxiety and Hemodynamic Changes during Different Dental Procedures: A Report from Eastern Saudi Arabia

Objectives This study aimed to investigate hemodynamic changes in healthy adult patients during different dental procedures and evaluate whether these changes were associated with patients' dental anxiety. Materials and Methods A convenience sample of 119 patients of both genders undergoing routine dental care participated in the study. Participants responded to the Arabic version of the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) and a self-structured questionnaire. Each patient had their blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation measured at three points: before, during, and after the dental procedure using an electronic sphygmomanometer. MDAS scores were categorized into no anxiety, mild, moderate or severe anxiety, while readings of heart rate and blood pressure were categorized into no change, increased or decreased and either “no change” or “increased” for oxygen saturation. Chi-square test was used to investigate the association between the study variables and a p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. SPSS version 20 was used in the analysis. Results Mean ( ± standard deviation [SD]) of MDAS was 11.12 ( ± 3.9) an indicative of moderate dental anxiety. No changes in blood pressure, heart rate, or in oxygen saturation were observed on 39.5%, 54.6% and 97.5% among the study participants, respectively. Half of the participants avoided dental care, with dental anxiety being the main reason for that (26.1%). Pattern of dental visits was significantly associated with MDAS scores ( p = 0.042). There were significant changes in blood pressure ( p = 0.0003), heart rate ( p = 0.01) but not in oxygen saturation ( p = 0.33). Changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were not associated with dental anxiety p = 0.15, 0.10, and 0.99, respectively. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that the type of dental procedure may cause dental anxiety and cause hemodynamic changes. Therefore, close monitoring of patients with dental anxiety during the treatment is advised.