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.