Assessing patient pain during dental laser treatment
Article Abstract:
Dental patients who undergo treatment with a laser may experience little or no pain during or after the procedure. Many patients are afraid to visit the dentist because they fear pain. Among 78 dental patients who underwent treatment with a laser, 91% experienced no pain or mild or weak pain during treatment and nine percent experienced strong or intense pain. Eighty-five percent of the patients experienced less pain with the laser procedure, but 15% experienced significant discomfort. Some patients could smell flesh burning during laser surgery, and others did not like certain types of sensations associated with the procedure. After the procedure, none of the patients experienced strong or intense pain and the majority did not experience any type of pain. Laser surgery may be less expensive than other types of dental surgery.
Publication Name: Journal of the American Dental Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0002-8177
Year: 1993
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Fear of dental care: are we making any progress?
Article Abstract:
The level of anxiety and fear about dental treatment has remained essentially the same since the 1950s, according to researchers who reviewed 200 articles and 19 studies on the topic that have been published since 1955. This is despite the fact that the level of general anxiety in the US population has increased during that time period. About one-third of US adults do not see a dentist on a regular basis.
Publication Name: Journal of the American Dental Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0002-8177
Year: 2003
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