| Summary: | The effects of sound generated by an ultrasonic
dental scaler and a dental turbine on heart rate, systolic and
diastolic blood pressure, and hemodynamic changes in the
frontal cortex were measured and compared with those of
pure tone stimulation in 17 young volunteers. Near-infrared
spectroscopy and the Finapres technique were used to
measure hemodynamic and cardiovascular responses,
respectively. The dental sound changed the various physiological
parameters. To determine if this change was related
to participants’ previous experiences with dental treatment,
participants were divided into two groups: those who had a
previous unpleasant experience with dental treatment and
those who had not. Participants with previous unpleasant
dental experiences showed a signifi cant decrease in cerebral
blood fl ow. Participants who had not had an unpleasant
dental experience did not show signifi cant changes in cerebral
blood fl ow. Thus, although sounds associated with
dental treatment may reduce cerebral blood fl ow, this effect
may depend on the dental experiences of the patient. It is
recommended that dentists treat patients gently and with
empathy to promote a friendly image of dentistry.
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