# Autonomic cardiovascular mechanisms linked to stress in dental practice

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how stress during dental procedures can trigger cardiovascular changes through the sympathetic nervous system, potentially leading to heart issues.

## Contribution

The paper presents a functional model linking dental stressors to autonomic cardiovascular changes via specific sympathetic pathways.

## Key findings

- Dental stressors like drill noise and pain activate sympathetic pathways affecting the heart.
- Mental stress and nociceptive input may jointly trigger abnormal cardiac sympathetic output.
- These mechanisms could contribute to cardiac arrhythmias during dental treatment.

## Abstract

Background Abundant evidence from human and animal studies indicates that the sympathetic response during mental stress preferentially involves the heart. Acute or chronic stress can lead to cardiovascular disease, including hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias. Stressors in dental practice are numerous, including drill noise, sight of a needle and pain. Numerous studies indicate that many adults suffer from dental fear or dental anxiety, and many develop dental phobia. Fear, anxiety or phobia are associated with increases in heart rate, changes in systolic blood pressure, and decreased oxygen saturation. This combination of factors poses challenges for the cardiovascular system and may explain why severe cardiac perturbations are observed in some patients receiving dental treatment.

Aim We review the central sympathetic pathways and mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular response to mental stress in the context of dental practice.

Methods and results Through a comprehensive literature review we present a functional model that illustrates how dental stressors result in autonomic cardiovascular changes. The focus is on medullary and supramedullary regions mediating sympathetic output during stressful situations as well as for integrating the somatosympathetic reflex, the active reflex that controls blood pressure during painful stimulation.

Conclusion Concurrent activation of specific groups of sympathetic premotor neurones by both mental stress and nociceptive afferent input may underlie the abnormal cardiac sympathetic output triggered by dental stressors, potentially contributing to the initiation of cardiac arrhythmias.

The heart is the main target of the sympathetic nervous system in stressful situations.Acute or chronic stress can lead to cardiovascular alterations, including hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias.Stressors in dental practice are numerous, including drill noise, sight of a needle and pain.This review presents a functional model that illustrates how dental stressors result in sympathetic-mediated cardiovascular changes.

The heart is the main target of the sympathetic nervous system in stressful situations.

Acute or chronic stress can lead to cardiovascular alterations, including hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias.

Stressors in dental practice are numerous, including drill noise, sight of a needle and pain.

This review presents a functional model that illustrates how dental stressors result in sympathetic-mediated cardiovascular changes.