Sedative methods used during extraction of wisdom teeth in patients with a high level of dental anxiety

Good physician-patient rapport and an anxiolytic and sedative treatment are necessary for comfortable and stress-free surgery under local anaesthesia. Intravenous sedation has been successfully performed to ensure smooth and safe surgery. Anxiety is an extremely common state, and most people experience some degree of dental anxiety, especially if they are about to undergo a procedure that they have never experienced before. Dental anxiety is a reaction to an unknown danger. It is predicted that patients experience a high degree of anxiety before extraction of wisdom teeth. The Spielberger’s state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) can be used to simultaneously evaluate the levels of state and trait anxiety. State anxiety is defined as subjective feelings of nervousness. Trait anxiety is an individual’s underlying tendency to perceive a situation. We assessed presurgical anxiety by using STAI and performed intravenous sedation for patients whose level of state anxiety was more than stage IV. Propofol and midazolam are commonly used as intravenous sedatives because of their easy adaptability and early recovery time. On the basis of our clinical experience, we believe that higher doses of sedatives are often required to induce the desired levels of sedation in patients with a high level of state anxiety. In this study, we examined this hypothesis. Mika Seto Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan TEL: +81-92-801-1011ext.3537 FAX: +81-92-801-1044 E-mail: [email protected] Sedative methods used during extraction of wisdom teeth in patients with a high level of dental anxiety