Page 19 - MDJ Volume 47 Number 2 ( Jul-Dec 2024)

Erdemir, et al.: The effect of local anaesthesia on dental anxiety and salivary cortisol levels
emotional stress situations such as dental anxiety. The concentration, using various demographic factors, a wider
[25]
advantage of using saliva samples is the noninvasive ease age range and more patients.
of collection and even low concentrations in saliva can
be determined using various sensitive methods. The conclusIons
[26]
ELISA immunoassay method was used for saliva sample
analysis and interpretation in our study. Within the limitations of the present study, the first null
hypothesis was rejected that there would be no difference
It has been reported that mechanical trauma of needle between MDAS scores based on gender. Higher levels of
insertion during intra-oral local anaesthesia or sudden dental anxiety have been observed in females. The second
injection of the anaesthetic solution into the soft tissue null hypothesis tested was accepted to have no correlation
is the most anxiety-provoking procedure for patients. between saliva cortisol levels and dental anxiety. The third
[27]
Moreover, duration and type of treatment and general null hypothesis tested is partially accepted that there will
or local anaesthesia applications have been reported to be no correlation between age and saliva cortisol levels.
affect cortisol concentration in saliva. Also, previous While higher saliva cortisol concentrations were observed
[28]
experiences of patients about anaesthesia applications in female patients with decrease in age, there was no
or hearing from others about these applications provoke significant correlation in male patients.
anxiety and thus increase cortisol concentrations. In our
study, saliva was collected after filling out the MDAS form Cortisol level in saliva with MDAS, which allows assessment
and before the application of local anaesthesia. According of local anaesthetic fear, is a useful marker in determining
to the findings of our study, no significant difference was dental anxiety and may be preferable for determining dental
found between the mean saliva cortisol concentrations anxiety levels according to various demographic factors.
based on gender. This result is similar to those of
some studies. [17,29] In addition, there was no significant Financial support and sponsorship
correlation between MDAS and saliva cortisol levels in Nil.
both sex groups. Similar to our study, Sadi et al. did
[30]
not find statistically significant correlations between DAS Conflicts of interest
and saliva cortisol levels. Although there was a significant There are no conflicts of interest.
difference between the mean MDAS scores by gender, the
difference between saliva cortisol levels may be due to the
self-restrictions of males to express their anxiety. references
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Malaysian Dental Journal ¦ Volume 47 ¦ Issue 2 ¦ July-December 2024 13