Optimizing Pediatric Patient Comfort: A Study of Moisture Isolation Techniques During Dental Treatments

作者：Maham Masud Khan, Jose Garcia, Marzia Mustamand, Xinbin Gu, Indra Z. Mustapha, LaToya Barham · 发表于：Children · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.3390/children13020233 · 研究领域：Dental Anxiety and Anesthesia Techniques、Dental Research and COVID-19、Dental Health and Care Utilization

Background: Effective dental isolation is crucial for successful restorative procedures in pediatric patients; however, its potential impact on patient stress remains underexplored. This investigation comprised two independent pilot sub-studies evaluating salivary cortisol responses to dental isolation techniques: one comparing cotton roll isolation (CRI) and the Isolite system (IS), and a second comparing cotton roll isolation (CRI) and the DryShield isolation system (DSI). The sub-studies were reported together due to a shared clinical context and outcome measure. Methods: Pediatric patients underwent sealant placement using CRI, IS, or DSI, depending on sub-study assignment. Salivary cortisol samples were collected for each procedure. In the CRI–IS sub-study, pulse rate was recorded at three time points, and participants completed subjective preference surveys. Cortisol analyses were conducted separately within each sub-study, with pulse rate and preference outcomes evaluated only for the CRI–IS cohort. Results: DSI produced a significant increase in salivary cortisol from pre- to post-procedure compared with CRI (p = 0.0001), indicating a higher acute stress response. In contrast, CRI and IS did not differ significantly in cortisol levels, but heart rate did significantly increase from pre- to post-procedure when CRI was used (p = 0.035). Of the 15 participants in the CRI–IS comparison, 9 provided subjective feedback, with most preferring the IS. Gender was not associated...