Translation and Validation of the Short Form of the Fear of Dental Pain Questionnaire in China

Validity and Reliability of the Romanian Version of a Modified Short Form of Fear of Dental Pain Questionnaire

The study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the Romanian version of short form of Fear of Dental Pain questionnaire (s-FDPQ), modified by adding an item about dental implant insertion.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The design of the study was cross-sectional. Data were collected through an online questionnaire completed by university students, administered from January to March 2024. The survey included information about past dental treatments, the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), and items of s-FDPQ.

RESULTS

186 participants were included in the study. The Romanian version of the modified s-FDPQ had a good reliability Sperman-Brown coefficient is 0.878, and Cronbach alpha is 0.92. The questionnaire had a good convergent validity, with all items being moderately correlated with the DAS score. The one-factor model was tested and has a good fit according to the confirmatory factor analysis. The participants were afraid of pain mostly regarding having a wisdom tooth extracted or a dental implant inserted. A statistically significant higher fear of dental pain was observed in those who did not previously have a root canal treatment (p=0.008) and in those who had dental implants in the past (p=0.046). Those attending regular dental check-ups had lower levels of fear of dental pain.

CONCLUSION

The Romanian version of s-FDPQ, modified by adding a question about dental implant insertion, has good reliability and validity. Fear of dental pain seemed to be influenced by features of dental procedures and previous dental experience.

Pain Relief in Dental Local Anaesthesia with Vibrational Devices: Much Ado about Nothing? A Scoping Review

In recent years, vibrational devices have been introduced in order to reduce patient discomfort in some situations such as orofacial pain, orthodontic therapy, and injection of local anaesthetics. This article aims to review the clinical experience given by the use of these devices in local anaesthesia. The literature search was carried out on the main scientific databases for articles up to November 2022. Eligibility criteria were established, and pertinent articles selected. The results were classified by author, year, type of study, sample size and characteristics, purpose of use, type of vibrational device used, protocol used, and outcomes. Nine relevant articles were found. These are split mouth randomized clinical trials which evaluate the reduction in pain perception with different devices and different protocols of use in children, during procedures which require local analgesia by injection, compared with traditional local anaesthesia with premedication based on anaesthetic gels. Different objective and subjective scales of pain and discomfort perception were used. Although results are promising, some data, such as those relating to vibrational intensity and frequency, are not clear. Evaluations on samples varying by age and context of use are necessary to fully define the indications for this type of aid during oral rehabilitation procedures.

Randomized Crossover Study of Auricular Plaster Therapy to Relieve Dental Anxiety in Children

OBJECTIVE

To determine if auricular plaster therapy (APT) can alleviate dental anxiety in children aged 9 or 10 years old.

METHODS

A crossover research was conducted on children with at least two deep-arrested deciduous molar caries (N = 80?). The first group (N = 40) received APT intended to reduce anxiety prior to the first caries treatment, whereas the second group (N = 40) received placebo/control APT (no anticipated impact on anxiety). The APT approaches were exchanged after a washout period following the initial caries treatment. Additionally, both groups were also informed and given a demonstration regarding the procedures and equipment prior to their use as part of a Tell-Show-Do (TSD) protocol. The dentists, children, and parents were all involved in assessing the level of anxiety using general anxiety scales. Moreover, the average heart rate and salivary cortisol concentration, both of which are indications of anxiety, were compared between the pre- and post-intervention periods. The participants were unaware of the type of APT that was employed (anti-anxiety vs. control). To avoid inadvertently influencing the outcome, all psychologists, investigators, and data recorders were blinded to the randomized subject sequence.

RESULTS

Children treated with anti-anxiety APT demonstrated significantly higher levels of obedience than children treated with control APT (P < 0.05). In addition, children treated with APT had a lower average heart rate while awaiting treatment, undergoing local anesthesia, and receiving dental caries treatment (P < 0.05). These children had reduced salivary cortisol levels while awaiting treatment (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Anti-anxiety APT can help relieve dental anxiety in children.