Self-Perception of Pain during the Periodontal Examination and Associated Clinical Periodontal Variables

Background Patient discomfort and pain associated with the insertion of a periodontal probe into the gingival sulcus and periodontal pocket are common clinical events.Objectives The study aimed to assess a self-perception of pain during the periodontal examination and associated clinical periodontal variables.Materials and Methods The study was conducted at the University of Sulaimani, 250 participants were included in the study ranging from (18-25) years old.The participants' pain scale was recruited for participation in this cross-sectional and questionnaire-based study that includes clinical periodontal examination and questions related to oral hygiene Performance and methods by students from the College of Dentistry.Full mouth periodontal evaluation to detect the Plaque Index (PI), Bleeding on Probing (BOP), Probing pocket depth (PPD), and Clinical attachment level (CAL), measurements were performed at six sites (mesio-buccal, disto-buccal, mid-buccal, mesio-lingual, disto-lingual and mid-lingual).Pain Experience, using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scale was applied to assess the level of pain.The visual analog scale (VAS) is a validated, subjective measure of acute and chronic pain.Results According to the chi-square test, there was a statistically significant association between pain and gingival bleeding during periodontal examination and tooth brushing.Conclusion In the present study, the severity of periodontal inflammation and bleeding will be found to lead to an increase in the severity of pain during periodontal examinations.