Abstract
AimThe anxiety of dental procedure evokes physiological response in the human body similar to fear. The level of cortisol and alpha-amylase in saliva can be considered as one of the major biomarkers of stress and anxiety. Our study was aimed to correlate the stress and anxiety with the levels of salivary cortisol (SC) and salivary alpha-amylase (SAA) in patients undergoing routine dental extraction.Materials and methodsThe levels of SC and SAA were assessed pre- and postextraction in the salivary samples of 20 children.ResultsThe values of cortisol and alpha-amylase showed a significant increase postextraction.ConclusionSalivary cortisol and SAA can be considered an important and noninvasive tool for assessment of anxiety, such as dental extraction, in children.Clinical significanceIncrease in the stress levels of a child in the dental operatory procedures like tooth extraction suggests the use of some behavior modification and shaping techniques by dentists to overcome the anxiety of the child before commencement of the procedure. This can aid in better cooperation of the child during treatment as well as helps in internal motivation toward future dental treatment.How to cite this article: Chaturvedi Y, Chaturvedy S, Marwah N, Chaturvedi S, Agarwal S, Agarwal N. Salivary Cortisol and Alpha-amylase—Biomarkers of Stress in Children undergoing Extraction: An in vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2018; 11(3):214-218.
Highlights
The unknown, be it a person, thing, or procedure, evokes fear in the human mind
Clinical significance: Increase in the stress levels of a child in the dental operatory procedures like tooth extraction suggests the use of some behavior modification and shaping techniques by dentists to overcome the anxiety of the child before commencement of the procedure
Our findings suggest that the salivary cortisol (SC) and salivary alpha-amylase (SAA) levels are related to sympathetic nervous system activity
Summary
The unknown, be it a person, thing, or procedure, evokes fear in the human mind. The anxiety of dental procedure evokes physiological response in the human body similar to fear. Bandura suggests that the child patient along with parents should closely watch an already adapted child being treated in the dental operatory.[1] Other methods suggested to combat this stress in patients are hypnosis and use of medications.[2]. Subjective assessment of this stress is of limited value, as it is incorporated with inherent human bias. The mere sight of blood and the act of its withdrawal from the body can induce stress and influence the readings
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