Salivary cortisol level and uncooperative behavior in pediatric dental practice

ABSTRACT

Aim: To investigate the relation between uncooperative behavior and salivary cortisol level in childrenwho underwent preventive dental care. Methods: The sample was composed by 10 children of bothsexes aged 40 to 52 months, presenting uncooperative behavior during dental preventive treatments.The saliva collection was performed using a cotton wheel and an Eppendorf tube (Sarstedt Salivete®)in 3 different moments: a) at home, on a day without dental treatment and at the same time on theday of the sessions treatment; b) 30 min after the end of the session, when there was manifestationof uncooperative behavior; c) 30 min after the end of the session, when there was a cooperativebehavior of the child. A sample of saliva was centrifuged for 5 minutes at 2400 rpm, 1 of mL of salivawas pipetted in an Eppendorf tube and stored in a freezer at -20 ° C. For the determination of thelevels of salivary cortisol was used an Active® kit for cortisol enzyme immunoassay (EIA) DSL-10-67100, composed of specific rabbit antibody anti-cortisol. Data were analyzed statistically for theuncooperative behavior issued in the beginning and at the end of sessions, using the paired t test(p<0.05) and for cortisol levels in saliva samples at home, after the beginning and at the end ofsessions, using repeated-measures ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p<0.05). Results: During expression ofuncooperative behavior in preventive dental care sessions the salivary cortisol level was significantlyhigher (0.65 ± 0.25 µg/dL) compared with expression of collaborative behavior (0.24 ± 0.10 µg/dL).Conclusions: It is possible to conclude that, even under preventive intervention, the stress must becontrolled in order to reduce dental anxiety and fear.