Vital signs changes during different dental procedures: A prospective longitudinal cross-over clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the magnitude of vital signs changes during 3 different dental treatments. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective longitudinal multiarm cross-over clinical trial was conducted. Three dental procedures were performed on each participant: supragingival scaling, dental restoration under local anesthesia (LA), and exodontia under LA. The following parameters were recorded for in each dental procedure: body temperature (BT), respiratory rate (RR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO(2)). Three repeated measurements of each parameter were recorded at 3 phases of each procedure. RESULTS: A total of 150 dental interventions were performed on 50 patients. Scaling caused a statistically significant rise in BT, RR, and SpO(2), and a reduction in HR. Restorative treatment caused a statistically significant rise in SpO(2) during LA. Exodontia caused a statistically significant rise in BT, RR, SBP (during the procedure), and SpO(2) (during LA). CONCLUSIONS: Scaling and restorative treatment did not significantly impact heart rate. The respiratory rate may temporarily rise during LA injection and some dental procedures, especially exodontia. Increase in systolic blood pressure and heart rate during exodontia was tolerated by healthy patients.