29th Annual American Dentistry Congress

This research aimed to investigate the association of inferior alveolar nerve block injection (IANB) and procedural pain with contributing psychological factors in patients undergoing endodontic therapy. Of 208 patients who had tooth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis and required an IANB injection, 164 patients completed the study. Participants fill out questionnaires on procedural pain (needle insertion pain, anesthesia solution deposition pain and access cavity preparation pain) and psychological factors (depression, anxiety and personality traits). For measuring pain Wong Baker Faces Pain Rating

Scale (WBS) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were used. Participants mean age was 34.63 years. Significantly depressed patients felt higher levels of pain for needle insertion as well as anesthesia solution deposition in both Scales (WBS: T1; (OR=1.08; 95% CI=1.01, 1.22) ,T2; (OR=1.09; 95% CI=1.02, 1.25), and VAS: T1; (OR=1.12; 95% CI=1.03, 1.29) ,T2;(OR=1.13; 95% CI=1.05,1.32)), but not in access cavity preparation. Among personality traits, the factor mostly associated with feeling higher levels of pain was neuroticism in both scales (WBS: T1;(OR=1.10; 95% CI=1.03, 1.25) ,T2; (OR=1.08; 95% CI=1.02,1.28), and VAS: T1;(OR=1.11; 95% CI=1.02, 1.28) ,T2; (OR=1.09; 95% CI=1.01, 1.20) ). It seems that depression and neuroticism can be considered as risk factors for feeling higher levels of pain during dental treatment. For helping these patients effort by both dentist and psychologist may be needed.