Effects of Gender and Acute Dental Pain on Thermal Pain Responses

Abstract

These data suggest that the sex difference in thermal pain sensitivity frequently reported in pain-free subjects appears to be absent in patients presenting with acute dental pain. However, this effect cannot be explained solely based on the presence of clinical pain because the effect on pain threshold and tolerance persisted into session 2, when pulpitis patients were pain free. Potential explanations for these results are discussed.

Psychological intervention in acute dental pain: review

“…Forty-six dental patients experiencing pain due to acute irreversible pulpitis and 33 healthy controls were involved in a study 7 to determine whether the presence of pain could be infl uenced by gender. These data suggest that the gender difference in thermal pain sensitivity frequently reported in pain-free subjects appears to be absent in patients presenting with acute dental pain.…”

Evidence for Sex Differences in the Relationships of Pain, Mood, and Disability

“…Additional t tests and 2 analyses indicated no other sex differences for any demographic or clinical variables (data not presented), which is consistent with previous clinical investigations. 13,20,42,66 Bivariate Relationships…”

Catastrophizing predicts changes in thermal pain responses after resolution of acute dental pain

“…We have previously reported on gender differences in thermal pain responses in this sample. 4 All subjects provided informed consent for the study, and all procedures were approved by the University's Institutional Review Board.…”

“…4 Briefly, the earlier study demonstrated that the sex differences in thermal pain responses frequently observed in pain-free subjects 25 were not observed in patients with acute dental pain. Thermal pain responses and catastrophizing were assessed in patients with acute dental pain at 2 time points, before and after successful pain-relieving treatment.…”