Key Points
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Psychological measures of pain are affected by anxiety.
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Reports of pain are associated with the type of treatment.
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Patients with acute dental pain can benefit from psychological intervention.
Abstract
Acute dental pain is an unpleasant experience. This article studies acute dental pain and examines the role of psychological intervention. After identification of the psychological factors associated with dental pain we go on to assess the role of psychological interventions.
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Jerjes, W., Hopper, C., Kumar, M. et al. Psychological intervention in acute dental pain: review. Br Dent J 202, 337–343 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/bdj.2007.227
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bdj.2007.227