A grounded theory study on Swedish 10 to 16-year-olds’ perceptions of pain in conjunction with orthodontically indicated tooth extraction

Abstract

Objective

Children frequently experience pain and/or discomfort during dental treatment. Still, pain research in dentistry has mainly been performed on adults using quantitative methods while research on the child’s perspective is scarce. This study aims to explore and describe children’s experiences and/or thoughts regarding pain in conjunction with tooth extraction.

Material and methods

Interviews were carried out with twelve Swedish 10–16-year-olds who had recently undergone tooth extractions due to orthodontic reasons. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed according to grounded theory.

Results

A core category was identified and named ‘handling the unavoidable unknown’. The informants recalled experiences of pain and discomfort during extractions. However, instead of focussing on pain, they described an urge for more information about the procedure and what to expect in terms of pain and/or discomfort, during and/or after treatment. They stated that the levels of pain/discomfort were manageable, while the lack of information negatively affected their coping abilities, causing feelings of unease.

Conclusions

To improve patients’ ability to deal with pain in conjunction with dental extraction, the dental team should ensure better and individually tailored information about the treatment. Thus, the use of psychological techniques is a cornerstone in pain management and must be reflected in clinical guidelines.