Pain Measurement through Temperature Changes in Children Undergoing Dental Extractions

Abstract

Background and Objective. Pain evaluation in children can be a difficult task, since it possesses sensory and affective components that are often hard to discriminate. Infrared thermography has previously been used as a diagnostic tool for pain detection in animals; therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the presence of temperature changes during dental extractions and to evaluate its correlation with heart rate changes as markers of pain and discomfort. Methods. Thermographic changes in the lacrimal caruncle and heart rate measurements were recorded in healthy children scheduled for dental extraction before and during the procedure and compared. Afterwards, correlation between temperature and heart rate was assessed. Results. We found significant differences in temperature and heart rate before the procedure and during the dental extraction (mean difference 4.07°C, p < 0.001, and 18.11 beats per minute, p < 0.001) and no evidence of correlation between both measurements. Conclusion. Thermographic changes in the lacrimal caruncle can be detected in patients who undergo dental extractions. These changes appear to be stable throughout time and to possess very little intersubject variation, thus making them a candidate for a surrogate marker of pain and discomfort. Future studies should be performed to confirm this claim.

An Ontological Approach for Dental Extraction Decision Making and Knowledge Dissemination – A Pilot Study for Dental Extraction Forceps

“…• Research articles, online articles and books (Wikipedia, 2017;Park and Kim, 2006;Malden, 2001;Kolosovas-Machuca et al, 2016;Cclyer, 1986;Heimann, 1977;Balaji, 2013;Anyanechi and Chukwuneke, 2012) • Newspapers, radio and television…”

“…Dentistry is a branch of medicine which deals with the dentition, related structures and tissues in the face. Removal of teeth from its socket in the jaws is known as a dental extraction (Kolosovas-Machuca et al, 2016;Wikipedia, 30 November 2017). There are many reasons for dental extractions but mainly it is done if a tooth has been damaged by decay or broken (Anyanechi and Chukwuneke, 2012).…”

Possibilities of thermographic rating the level of microcirculation with local anesthesia in dentistry

“…В экспериментальной медицине [6] и стоматологии [7,8] описаны способы инфракрасной (ИК) диагностики как болевых синдромов, так и воспалительных заболеваний полости рта: регистрация тепловизором, соединенным с компьютером и монитором с функцией цветного ИК изображения, локальной температуры исследуемой области с получением термограммы -изображения, отображающего распределение температуры на исследуемой поверхности путем использования разных цветов для разных значений температуры. Принято, что цвета красного и желтого оттенков интуитивно ассоциируются с высокой температурой, зеленого и синего -с низкой.…”

Diagnostic accuracy of infrared thermal imaging for detecting COVID‐19 infection in minimally symptomatic patients

“…Vasodilation of skin capillaries due to hyperaemia or inflammation is associated with increases in temperature, and conversely, vasoconstriction or devascularisation of the skin, with temperature drops 4 . IRT is very sensitive for detecting small changes in the temperature distribution of the face, particularly around the medial lower eyelid and the lacrimal caruncle, which are areas that respond to autonomic changes in blood flow 5 . Moreover, this technology has been used with moderate success as a screening tool to detect illness during past respiratory virus epidemics 6,7 .…”