Grado de ansiedad pre-exodoncia en pacientes de la clínica UCSG durante el semestre A-2026.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the level of pre-extraction anxiety in patients treated at the Dental Clinic of the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil during the A-2026 semester. Materials and methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study was conducted on 100 adult patients scheduled for tooth extraction under local anesthesia. Participants were selected using non-probability convenience sampling. Anxiety was assessed prior to the procedure using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Data on age, sex, history and perception of previous extractions, blood pressure, and heart rate were also recorded. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The mean age was 43.48 ± 16.20 years, and 65% of the participants were female. 86% had a history of tooth extraction; among them, 62.8% rated their experience as positive. Mild or normal anxiety was the most common category (63%), followed by moderate anxiety (31%) and extreme anxiety or probable dental phobia (6%). Moderate anxiety was more frequent in patients aged 18 to 29 and in those who had not previously undergone an extraction. Women exhibited higher rates of moderate and extreme anxiety than men. Patients with extreme anxiety showed higher diastolic blood pressure and mean heart rate. Conclusion: Although mild or normal anxiety predominated, more than one-third of patients presented with moderate or extreme anxiety. Therefore, assessing anxiety prior to tooth extraction is important to facilitate safe, individualized clinical management.