Degree of pain/discomfort experienced by patients during and after scaling and root planing

Objectives: To determine: the degree of pain experienced by patients during periodontal probing and periodontal debridement by using a Visual Analog Scale [VAS]

Study Design: Cross sectional descriptive study

Place and Duration: Conducted at Periodontology Department of Margalla Institute of Health Sciences [MIHS] Rawalpindi from December 2011 to May 2012

Methodology: Measurements for probing depths were performed, followed by pain ratings by each patient using a VAS. The hygienists also completed a VAS, estimating the pain level perceived by their patients

Results: Among 106 patients, 70% showed low pain responses to both probing and instrumentation. In our study a group of 106 [56 male and 50 female] patients were included, which received scaling and root planing procedures, out of which 36.6% of the patients experienced mild pain, 33.3% felt moderate pain while only 13.3% felt severe pain. In addition the pain and discomfort remain low with 23.3% and 53% during procedures but increases to 53.3% and 86.7% after treatment respectively

Conclusion: Majority of the patients experience mild to moderate pain during scaling and root planing; moreover intensity of pain and discomfort felt after these procedures are greater than the pain sensation felt during the procedures

Patients awareness about the risk factors and the prevention of dental diseases

The aim of this study was to assess the level of awareness of patients about dental diseases and their prevention. The subjects included 100 patients attending Periodontology Department, Margalla College of Dentistry, Rawalpindi. This study used a predesigned questionnaire to evaluate the effects of gender, age and level of education of patients on their awareness and understanding of the risk factors for Periodontal Diseases. The results showed that more than 83% of the participating patients were able to correctly identify the most important cause of gum diseases out of which 30 percent of patients showed a correlation between smoking and the severity of periodontal pathology, 19 percent correlated with diabetes, 19% with abnormal environmental factors while 17% knew the way of their prevention. Majority of the patients [63%] showed no knowledge of prevention. Age and level of education of patients had least effect on the level of awareness except for the knowledge of brushing which increased with increasing level of education