Does the Anaesthetic Method Affect Parental Anxiety for Their Children Planned for Tooth Extraction? A Randomized Clinical Trial

Surgical procedures, whether minor or major, emergency or planned, are stressful negative life experiences for children and their families. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of the anaesthetic method applied to children planned for tooth extraction on their parents’ anxiety and the possible relationship between this anxiety and parental dental anxiety. A total of 60 child patients in the American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) I risk group, who had no previous experience of dental or surgical treatment and were referred to our department for tooth extraction under local anaesthesia (n = 30) or sedoanalgesia (n = 30), were included in the study. Before tooth extraction, parental anxiety levels were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI I-II). In contrast, dental anxiety levels were evaluated with the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Among the children planned for local anaesthesia, 63.3% were girls, while 63.3% of those who planned sedoanalgesia were boys. For parents of children planned for local anaesthesia, a negative correlation was found between the PSS and the parent’s age (r = –0.379, p = 0.039). For parents of children planned for sedoanalgesia, a negative correlation was observed between PSS and the child’s age (r = –0.581, p < 0.001), and a correlation with having a boy (r = 0.489, p = 0.006). For parents of children planned for local anaesthesia, a negative correlation was found between the MDAS and the child’s age (r = –0.561, p < 0.001). The mean values of MDAS, PSS, and STAI-I were significantly higher in the parents of children planned for sedoanalgesia compared with those planned for local anaesthesia (p < 0.001). However, no correlation was found between MDAS and PSS, STAI-I, or STAI-II parameters. In this study, we found that parental anxiety was influenced by the anaesthesia method applied to their children but was not related to parental dental anxiety. We concluded that providing parents with comprehensive information about anaesthesia and surgical procedures via a multidisciplinary approach before the procedure could contribute to reducing both parental and child dental anxiety.