PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of anxiety on blood pressure and heart rate during dental care in patients of the Dentistry Clinic in Rio Preto University Center - UNIRP, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: A sample of 60 volunteers who sought for the dental screening service was selected. We used a scale to evaluate the volunteers' anxiety level. Blood pressure and heart rate of patients were also checked in different periods of the dental treatment. RESULTS: Most of the volunteers were women. The relation between anxiety and pain before treatment, revealed that 54 (90.0%) had no pain. The patients had low anxiety towards the use of different anesthetic solutions used during dental procedures. There was no statistically significant difference concerning to systolic blood pressure at first and, after application of anesthetic, given the degree of anxiety. Heart rate does not change as a function of anxiety. There is a slight change in heart rate after anesthesia, and it soon gets back to normal. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in behavior of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in relation to the anxiety level and pain, measured before, during and after the procedure. Heart rate did not change during dental treatment in the patient anxiety level.
Anxiety; blood pressure; heart rate; dental treatment
