title: Effects of conscious sedation on patient recall of anxiety and pain after oral surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the effect of conscious ("moderate") sedation with amnestic effects and local anesthetic, versus local anesthetic alone, on recall of pain and anxiety related to surgical tooth extraction. Greater anxiety and pain were hypothesized in the local anesthesia-alone group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients undergoing tooth extraction, receiving moderate sedation plus local anesthetic (n = 27) or local anesthetic alone (n = 27), were assessed on trait dental anxiety, preextraction state pain and anxiety, anticipated pain and anxiety, and 1-month recall of pain and anxiety.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with moderate sedation, compared with those administered only local anesthetic, recalled less procedural pain and anxiety after 1 month. The local anesthetic-alone group reported more preextraction pain and anticipated more procedural anxiety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moderate sedation had the desired effect of lower recalled pain and anxiety associated with extraction, even 1 month later. Anticipating moderate sedation also prompts expectation of less anxiety during the procedure.
authors: Doctoral Student, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
authors: Tomorrow D
authors: TD
authors: Wilson
authors: Professor of Psychology, Eberly Distinguished Professor, and Clinical Professor of Dental Practice and Rural Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA. Electronic address: Daniel.McNeil@mail.wvu.edu.
authors: Daniel W
authors: DW
authors: McNeil
authors: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatric Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.
authors: Brandon N
authors: BN
authors: Kyle
authors: Professor and Chair, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
authors: Bryan D
authors: BD
authors: Weaver
authors: Professor Emeritus, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
authors: Robert W
authors: RW
authors: Graves
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D016292:Procedural Sedation; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000523:psychology*