Percepción del dolor y grado de satisfacción del paciente después de la exodoncia dental.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this research is to determine the relationship between pain perception and the degree of satisfaction after undergoing a dental extraction in patients treated at the Dental Clinic of the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil during period A 2026. Materials and methods: A quantitative, observational, and cross-sectional study was conducted in 134 patients over 18 years of age who underwent simple or complex dental extraction at the Oral Surgery Clinics of UCSG, during May-August 2026. Pain perception was assessed using the VAS scale and satisfaction using a structured questionnaire. Clinical and operative variables were recorded, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's rho, and Mann-Whitney U, with a significance level of 5%. Results: 134 patients were analyzed, with a predominance of simple extractions (78.4%) and female sex (56.7%). Absence of pain or mild pain and high levels of satisfaction predominated. No significant association was found between postoperative pain and satisfaction (rho = −0.157; p = 0.070). Preoperative anxiety (rho = 0.396; p < 0.001) and surgical time (rho = 0.233; p = 0.007) were significantly associated with pain. The number of teeth extracted, type of extraction, and surgical techniques showed no significant associations with pain or satisfaction. Conclusion: Low pain perception and a high degree of satisfaction were observed. Preoperative anxiety and surgical time were significantly associated with postoperative pain. No significant association was found between pain perception and the degree of patient satisfaction.