Preoperative dental anxiety and mood changes during nitrous oxide inhalation.
James P Zacny, Rebecca J Hurst, Lou Graham, Debra J Janiszewski
Journal of the American Dental Association (1939) January 2002 DOI: 10.14219/jada.archive.2002.0026 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 46 |
| Population | Patients scheduled to receive nitrous oxide during a dental procedure, categorized by preoperative dental anxiety level |
| Intervention | Nitrous oxide |
| Dose | subanesthetic concentrations |
| Measures | visual analog scale |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Key findings | Nitrous oxide inhalation increased pleasant mood ratings in low-, moderate-, and high-anxiety patients alike. Preoperative ratings of 'anxious', 'having unpleasant thoughts', and 'feel bad' were elevated in high-anxiety patients but fell during nitrous oxide administration to levels comparable to low-anxiety patients. The authors suggest nitrous oxide may be an effective therapy for reducing anxiety during dental procedures. |
Abstract
An estimated 35 million Americans experience significant apprehension about dental procedures, while an additional 10 to 12 million are considered to be "dental phobic" and avoid needed dental care altogether. Nitrous oxide is a general anesthetic used at subanesthetic concentrations to reduce anxiety during dental procedures. The purpose of this study was to characterize mood changes during nitrous oxide inhalation in patients with different levels of preoperative dental anxiety. Forty-six patients who were to receive nitrous oxide during a dental procedure completed two anxiety scales. These patients were categorized into three groups: low anxiety, or LA, moderate anxiety, or MA, and high anxiety, or HA. They completed a visual analog scale of subjective effects before, during and after the dental procedure. A number of visual analog ratings, the majority of which could be considered pleasant, increased during nitrous oxide administration. It is significant that this increase in pleasant mood occurred in the HA and MA groups to the same degree as it did in the LA group. Patients in the HA and MA groups had elevated preoperative visual analog ratings of "anxious" that were reduced during nitrous oxide administration to a level equivalent to that reported by patients who had low preoperative anxiety. Patients in the HA group also had elevated preoperative visual analog ratings of "having unpleasant thoughts" and "feel bad" compared with the LA group. These ratings were reduced in the HA group to a level equivalent to that reported by patients in the LA group. Regardless of their preoperative anxiety level, patients experienced a number of mood-altering effects during nitrous oxide inhalation, the majority of which could be considered pleasant. Ratings of an unpleasant nature decreased markedly in patients with high anxiety. These findings suggest that nitrous oxide may be an effective therapy in reducing patient anxiety during dental procedures.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise Regular practitioners of physical exercise or meditation | 1978 | Retrospective study | n = 77 |
| Dynamic coupling of whole-brain neuronal and neurotransmitter systems Healthy humans | 2020 | Observational study | |
| Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 135,095 |
Citations in the library
Cites 2
- Effects of information on the reinforcing, subjective, and psychomotor effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers. Drug and Alcohol Dependence November 25, 1997
- The effects of alcohol history on the reinforcing, subjective and psychomotor effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers. Drug and Alcohol Dependence April 14, 1997