Effects of conscious sedation on patient recall of anxiety and pain after oral surgery

Abstract

This study examined the effect of conscious ("moderate") sedation with amnestic effects and local anesthetic, versus local anesthetic alone, on recall of pain and anxiety related to surgical tooth extraction. Greater anxiety and pain were hypothesized in the local anesthesia-alone group. Patients undergoing tooth extraction, receiving moderate sedation plus local anesthetic (n = 27) or local anesthetic alone (n = 27), were assessed on trait dental anxiety, preextraction state pain and anxiety, anticipated pain and anxiety, and 1-month recall of pain and anxiety. Patients with moderate sedation, compared with those administered only local anesthetic, recalled less procedural pain and anxiety after 1 month. The local anesthetic-alone group reported more preextraction pain and anticipated more procedural anxiety. Moderate sedation had the desired effect of lower recalled pain and anxiety associated with extraction, even 1 month later. Anticipating moderate sedation also prompts expectation of less anxiety during the procedure.