Salivary Alpha-Amylase Activity: A Possible Indicator of Pain-Induced Stress in Orthodontic Patients

Introduction. Pain, a common experience reported by orthodontic patients, has its intensity assessed with the help of subjective scales, which have a limited and disputable value. Such unpleasant experience, which may raise stress levels, is reflected by an increase in the salivary concentration of alpha‐amylase. Objective. Assess the correlation between the salivary levels of alpha‐amylase and pain intensity reported by patients during orthodontic treatment. Patients. Twenty male patients (11–37 years of age) were assessed daily, before treatment, after bracket bonding, and after initial arch wire insertion. Design. Saliva was sampled for alpha‐amylase analysis, and pain intensity was measured with the visual analog scale. Results. There was no correlation between alpha‐amylase concentrations in the saliva and pain intensity, although the patients had a significant and progressive increase of alpha‐amylase levels during the assessment period. Conclusions. The findings may reflect the psychological stress caused by the presence and activation of the fixed appliance.