The Effect of Psychological State on Pain Perception in a Simulated Dental Setting Among Young Adults: A Randomized Comparative Experiment.

Background/Objectives: The psychological state affects perceived pain and can be modulated by emotions and attention. Pain experiences are prevalent in dental treatment and play a key role in the development of dental anxiety and treatment avoidance. This study hypothesizes that video and audio that are either pain-relevant or neutral will impact pain perception, self-reported stress, and physiological stress in a dental setting differently. Methods: Eighty participants were randomized into a no-stimuli control group and four experimental groups, in which they were exposed to pain-relevant or neutral video or audio recordings. Heat pain was administered to the participants' forearms before and after the video or audio exposure, and participants rated the pain using a computerized visual analogue scale. Skin conductance levels (SCLs) were measured to indicate arousal levels. Results: Pain reports were significantly higher in the control group compared to all other groups (all p-values < 0.05), except for those who viewed the surgical video. Also, both pain reports and SCLs were significantly higher during the pain-relevant video compared to the neutral video (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The interplay between the psychological state, emotion, attention and pain perception in dental care should be explored further, particularly regarding its potential relevance for pain control and supportive clinical environments.