Pain is a complex experience affected by such factors as stress, anxiety and cognitions. The purpose of this study was to examine the inter-relationship between anxiety and acute pain perception under an oral surgery procedure of implant insertion. The study population consisted of 60 dental patients (58% female, mean age 42 year), who were scheduled for implant insertion in a private clinic specializing in oral surgery. Patients were evaluated on three consecutive occasions: immediately preoperatively (T1), immediately post-operatively (T2), and at 4 weeks post-operative follow-up (T3). Patients were requested to complete questionnaires concerning their anxiety on each occasion and to indicate their subjective evaluations concerning pain (on visual analogue scales). Patient anxiety and pain evaluation were highest immediately before the surgical procedure (T1) with a significant decrease immediately afterwards (T2). The best predictor of the patient's pain evaluation at each time point was their state of anxiety at that time (T1: mean square = 7844.36, F = 16.26, P < 0.001; T2: mean square = 7652.74, F = 15.86, P < 0.001; T3: mean square = 5433.04, F = 8.99, P < 0.005). Pain experienced by patients in oral surgery is best predicted by their anxiety at each time point. Proper understanding of the variables that affect pain is important as they may produce emotional responses that could influence compliance.

Pain is a complex experience that is affected by factors such as gender, stress, anxiety and cognitions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inter-relationship between gender and acute pain prediction and memory under periodontal surgery treatment. The study was conducted on 15 male and 22 female dental patients (mean age 34 yr, mean education level 14.7 yr), who were scheduled for periodontal surgery. Patients were evaluated during four consecutive appointments: at initial check-up, immediately pre-operatively, 1 wk post-operatively, and at 4 wk post-operative follow-up. Patients were requested to complete questionnaires concerning their anxiety at each appointment and to indicate their subjective evaluations concerning pain (on a visual analogue scale). Evaluations concerning expectation to experience pain during the planned surgery (pain prediction) were made at the first two appointments and evaluations of the experienced pain as remembered from the surgery (pain memory) were made at the last two appointments. Gender had a significant effect on pain prediction and pain memory. Men expected to experience more pain pre-operatively than women but remembered less pain post-operatively. It was concluded that cognitive pain perception in clinical situations differs between genders.

Bad breath (halitosis, oral malodor) is a common condition, usually the result of microbial putrefaction within the oral cavity. Often, people suffering from bad breath remain unaware of it, whereas others remain convinced that they suffer from foul oral malodor, although there is no evidence for such. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether objective self-measurement of oral malodors is possible. Each of 52 volunteers was asked to sample the odor from his/her mouth, tongue, and saliva. Results were compared with (i) self-assessments prior to (preconception) and following (post-measurement) self-measurements; (ii) odor judge scores; (iii) dental-measurements (plaque index, gingival index, and probing depth); (iv) volatile sulphide levels; (v) salivary cadaverine levels; and (vi) intra-oral trypsin-like activity. Among the self-measurements, only saliva self-scores yielded significant correlations with objective parameters. Despite the partial objectivity of saliva self-estimates, subsequent post-measurement self-assessments failed to correlate with objective parameters. The results suggest that (i) preconceived notions confound the ability to score one's own oral malodors in an objective fashion; and (ii) partial objectivity can be obtained in the case of saliva self-measurement, presumably because the stimulus is removed from the body proper.

No abstract

Burning mouth syndrome--BMS (also known as glossodynia, glossalgia, glossopyrosis, or oral dysesthesia)--primarily affects middle-aged women. Many possible etiologies have been proposed to account for the syndrome; most are still unsubstantiated. One possible suggested etiology involves the presence of psychological components. In this study, 45 BMS patients and 45 age-, sex-, ethnic origin-, socio-economic status-, and education-matched control subjects were evaluated for their psychopathologic profile and existence of recent life events. All subjects were requested to complete the SCL-90 questionnaire and a Recent Life Changes questionnaire. The BMS patients scored significantly higher on all SCL-90 scales except one. A MANOVA test to evaluate the overall group effect was significant at the 0.0001 level. No differences between groups were found for recent life events. The data suggest that although BMS patients are subjected to elevated psychological stress, initiation of BMS symptoms is not necessarily correlated with stressful life events.