IADR Abstract Archives
Effect of Nitrous Oxide on Salivary Cortisol Levels in Pediatric Dental Patients
Objectives: New, unpleasant, and invasive experiences are often a source of anxiety for dental patients. Children, in particular, often experience anxiety during treatment. Salivary cortisol levels peak rapidly (within 20-30 minutes) following a stressful event. This rapid response and the ease of collection of saliva suggest that salivary cortisol levels may provide a unique quantitative measure of anxiety and a method to assess the effectiveness of anxiolytic strategies.
The primary objective was to evaluate the effect of nitrous oxide on salivary cortisol levels during restorative dental treatment. The secondary objective was to investigate whether different restorative procedures had different effects on perioperative cortisol levels.
Methods: Forty patients, requiring restorative dental treatment with local anesthesia were enrolled in the study. Twenty children were treated with local anesthesia only (control) and 20 children were also managed with nitrous oxide (N20). Saliva was collected using SalivaBio Oral Swabs preoperatively and 25 minutes after delivery of local anesthesia (stressor). Salivary cortisol levels were determined by ELISA (Salimetrics Inc., USA). All analyses were conducted using SPSS Version 24 software (Kaysville, Utah). Statistical significance was accepted at p <0.05.
Results: Mean preoperative salivary cortisol levels between control and N20 group were not significantly different (Independent Sample t-test; p= 0.70). Likewise, differences in the mean postoperative cortisol levels between N20 group and control group were not statistically significant (Independent Sample t-test; p= 0.83). Differences in mean postoperative cortisol levels between children being treated with different restorative procedures (one or two surface composite restorations, pulpotomies/stainless steel crowns, or a combination of the above procedures) in either group were not statistically significant.
Conclusions: Nitrous oxide does not alter salivary cortisol levels significantly during restorative dental treatment. Likewise, the particular dental procedure being performed does not appear to influence postoperative cortisol levels.
The primary objective was to evaluate the effect of nitrous oxide on salivary cortisol levels during restorative dental treatment. The secondary objective was to investigate whether different restorative procedures had different effects on perioperative cortisol levels.
Methods: Forty patients, requiring restorative dental treatment with local anesthesia were enrolled in the study. Twenty children were treated with local anesthesia only (control) and 20 children were also managed with nitrous oxide (N20). Saliva was collected using SalivaBio Oral Swabs preoperatively and 25 minutes after delivery of local anesthesia (stressor). Salivary cortisol levels were determined by ELISA (Salimetrics Inc., USA). All analyses were conducted using SPSS Version 24 software (Kaysville, Utah). Statistical significance was accepted at p <0.05.
Results: Mean preoperative salivary cortisol levels between control and N20 group were not significantly different (Independent Sample t-test; p= 0.70). Likewise, differences in the mean postoperative cortisol levels between N20 group and control group were not statistically significant (Independent Sample t-test; p= 0.83). Differences in mean postoperative cortisol levels between children being treated with different restorative procedures (one or two surface composite restorations, pulpotomies/stainless steel crowns, or a combination of the above procedures) in either group were not statistically significant.
Conclusions: Nitrous oxide does not alter salivary cortisol levels significantly during restorative dental treatment. Likewise, the particular dental procedure being performed does not appear to influence postoperative cortisol levels.