Auricular acupuncture effectively reduces state anxiety before dental treatment...

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to analyse whether auricular acupuncture, acupuncture at the outer ear, could reduce state anxiety before dental treatment. METHODS: This prospective, randomised patient-blinded study with 182 patients compared anxiety before dental treatment following auricular acupuncture at the relaxation-, tranquillizer- and master cerebral points (auricular acupuncture group) versus acupuncture at sham points (finger-, shoulder- and tonsil points; sham group) and a non-intervention control group. Anxiety was assessed using the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (German version) before auricular acupuncture and 20 min thereafter, immediately before dental treatment. RESULTS: Auricular acupuncture reduced state anxiety score more effectively from 54.7?±?10.8 to 46.9?±?10.4 (mean ± SD) than sham acupuncture from 51.9?±?10.2 to 48.4?±?10.0. In contrast, state anxiety in the control group increased from 51.0?±?11.7 to 54.0?±?11.6 (mean increase +3.0; CI +4.7 to +1.2). The decrease in state anxiety in both intervention groups was statistically significant (p? Clin Oral Investig. 2012 Jan 6. Michalek-Sauberer A, Gusenleitner E, Gleiss A, Tepper G, Deusch E. Department of Special Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria, andrea.michalek-sauberer@meduniwien.ac.at.