The aims of this study were to determine; 1) the degree of pain experienced by patients during probing and debridement; 2) if the treating hygienists could estimate the degree of pain experienced by the patients; and 3) if the patients' pain responses could be predicted by factors such as the patients' age, gender, number of residual periodontal lesions, and the patients' answers to a questionnaire on dental anxiety.
Prior to the maintenance procedures, 2 groups of 20 adult patients to be treated by 2 hygienists completed an anxiety questionnaire. Subsequently, measurements of probing depths were performed, followed by pain ratings by each patient using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The hygienists also completed a VAS, estimating the pain level they perceived their patient experienced. The same protocol was repeated for instrumentation (debridement).
The results were as follows: 1) Most patients showed low pain responses to both probing and instrumentation. However, using an arbitrary threshold of VAS >40 mm, 20- 33% of the patients had a significant pain experience. 2) The hygienists were quite accurate in their relative estimates of their patients' pain experiences. 3) Regression analyses disclosed that significant portions of the pain responses could be predicted by the patients' answers to one of the dental anxiety questions.
In conclusions, recognition of patients that are likely to experience significant pain during periodontal treatment may be facilitated by the use of one question on dental anxiety. During treatment, the ability to gauge and respond to patients' pain experiences would seem to be an important component of the clinical skills of a therapist.
","abstract_html":"<p>The aims of this study were to determine; 1) the degree of pain experienced by patients during probing and debridement; 2) if the treating hygienists could estimate the degree of pain experienced by the patients; and 3) if the patients' pain responses could be predicted by factors such as the patients' age, gender, number of residual periodontal lesions, and the patients' answers to a questionnaire on dental anxiety.</p> <p>Prior to the maintenance procedures, 2 groups of 20 adult patients to be treated by 2 hygienists completed an anxiety questionnaire. Subsequently, measurements of probing depths were performed, followed by pain ratings by each patient using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The hygienists also completed a VAS, estimating the pain level they perceived their patient experienced. The same protocol was repeated for instrumentation (debridement).</p> <p>The results were as follows: 1) Most patients showed low pain responses to both probing and instrumentation. However, using an arbitrary threshold of VAS >40 mm, 20- 33% of the patients had a significant pain experience. 2) The hygienists were quite accurate in their relative estimates of their patients' pain experiences. 3) Regression analyses disclosed that significant portions of the pain responses could be predicted by the patients' answers to one of the dental anxiety questions.</p> <p>In conclusions, recognition of patients that are likely to experience significant pain during periodontal treatment may be facilitated by the use of one question on dental anxiety. During treatment, the ability to gauge and respond to patients' pain experiences would seem to be an important component of the clinical skills of a therapist.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Chung, Thu-Diem"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Periodontics","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Gary Bogle","Max Crigger","Robert Kiger"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2002,"date_issued":"2002-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2002-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:54:17Z","subjects":["Pain Management","Periodontics and Periodontology","Dentistry; Facial Pain -- therapy; Dental Hygienists; Pain"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1199","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Gary Bogle","Max Crigger","Robert Kiger"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Chung, Thu-Diem"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Periodontics"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Pain Management","Periodontics and Periodontology","Dentistry; Facial Pain -- therapy; Dental Hygienists; Pain"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1199"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The aims of this study were to determine; 1) the degree of pain experienced by patients during probing and debridement; 2) if the treating hygienists could estimate the degree of pain experienced by the patients; and 3) if the patients' pain responses could be predicted by factors such as the patients' age, gender, number of residual periodontal lesions, and the patients' answers to a questionnaire on dental anxiety.
Prior to the maintenance procedures, 2 groups of 20 adult patients to be treated by 2 hygienists completed an anxiety questionnaire. Subsequently, measurements of probing depths were performed, followed by pain ratings by each patient using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The hygienists also completed a VAS, estimating the pain level they perceived their patient experienced. The same protocol was repeated for instrumentation (debridement).
The results were as follows: 1) Most patients showed low pain responses to both probing and instrumentation. However, using an arbitrary threshold of VAS >40 mm, 20- 33% of the patients had a significant pain experience. 2) The hygienists were quite accurate in their relative estimates of their patients' pain experiences. 3) Regression analyses disclosed that significant portions of the pain responses could be predicted by the patients' answers to one of the dental anxiety questions.
In conclusions, recognition of patients that are likely to experience significant pain during periodontal treatment may be facilitated by the use of one question on dental anxiety. During treatment, the ability to gauge and respond to patients' pain experiences would seem to be an important component of the clinical skills of a therapist.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Pain Experienced by Patients during Periodontal Recall Treatment"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Gary Bogle","Max Crigger","Robert Kiger"],"dc:creator":["Chung, Thu-Diem"],"dc:description.abstract":["The aims of this study were to determine; 1) the degree of pain experienced by patients during probing and debridement; 2) if the treating hygienists could estimate the degree of pain experienced by the patients; and 3) if the patients' pain responses could be predicted by factors such as the patients' age, gender, number of residual periodontal lesions, and the patients' answers to a questionnaire on dental anxiety.
Prior to the maintenance procedures, 2 groups of 20 adult patients to be treated by 2 hygienists completed an anxiety questionnaire. Subsequently, measurements of probing depths were performed, followed by pain ratings by each patient using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The hygienists also completed a VAS, estimating the pain level they perceived their patient experienced. The same protocol was repeated for instrumentation (debridement).
The results were as follows: 1) Most patients showed low pain responses to both probing and instrumentation. However, using an arbitrary threshold of VAS >40 mm, 20- 33% of the patients had a significant pain experience. 2) The hygienists were quite accurate in their relative estimates of their patients' pain experiences. 3) Regression analyses disclosed that significant portions of the pain responses could be predicted by the patients' answers to one of the dental anxiety questions.
In conclusions, recognition of patients that are likely to experience significant pain during periodontal treatment may be facilitated by the use of one question on dental anxiety. During treatment, the ability to gauge and respond to patients' pain experiences would seem to be an important component of the clinical skills of a therapist.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1199"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Pain Management","Periodontics and Periodontology","Dentistry; Facial Pain -- therapy; Dental Hygienists; Pain"],"dc:title":["Pain Experienced by Patients during Periodontal Recall Treatment"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Periodontics"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:54:17Z"}