Perceptions and Experiences of Patients Undergoing Root Canal Treatment

Nouman Noor; Anam Mirza; Varqa Faraid; Ihsan Ullah

doi:10.65293/jbkcd.v1i01.10

Authors

Nouman Noor Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnostics, School of Dentistry, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Anam Mirza Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnostics, School of Dentistry, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Varqa Faraid Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnostics, School of Dentistry, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Ihsan Ullah Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, School of Dentistry and Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65293/jbkcd.v1i01.10

Keywords:

Root canal treatment, patient experience, dental anxiety, pain perception, treatment concerns

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine the level of patient concerns, the expectation and perceived pain, and the degree of anxiety before and after root canal treatment (RCT).

Study Design: Cross-sectional study survey.

Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, School of Dentistry, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, Pakistan, from March 2021 to April 10, 2022.

Methodology: The researcher surveyed 250 patients who had undergone root canal treatment (RCT) both before and after the procedure. The surveys evaluated demographic information, factors affecting the treatment, perceived pain severity, and anxiety.

Results: The results illustrated a high decline in the patient apprehensions, experience of pain, and anxiety caused by RCT. Before treatment, the most important issues were fear of pain (72%), cost (64%), and pain after treatment (56%). Fear of pain decreased to 20 percent after treatment, but 56 percent of patients still feared financial issues. The belief about pain was also highly exaggerated: most patients (56%) anticipated a high level of pain (710/10), and few of them (16%) reported it; yet more than half of the patients (48) had only mild pain. The levels of anxiety also decreased significantly: the overall anxiety decreased to 3.2 ± 1.8 (p < 0.001), while procedure-related anxiety was reduced to 3.5 ± 1.7 (p < 0.001). Such results strongly suggest that prior fears are primarily a result of misperception rather than actual experiences.

Conclusion: RCT has been coupled with considerable decreases in subjective discomfort and expectations of pain. Depending on the nature of the treatment, patients' pre-treatment concerns may take extreme forms, which can be resolved by providing sound education and assurance.

Author Biography

Anam Mirza, Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnostics, School of Dentistry, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Corresponding Author: anammirzapdc56@gmail.com

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