A training program to improve the ability of periodontal residents to estimate patients pain experience

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether periodontal residents could enhance their ability to assess the pain levels experienced by their patients from probing, using visual analog scale (VAS) to record pain. We hypothesized that with increasing experience by repeated comparisons of the patients' VAS pain ratings with independent ratings by the residents, they would improve their ability to assess their patients' pain experiences. Methods: For each of three periodontal residents, 40 consecutive patients with periodontal disease were asked to express the degree of pain they experienced during the probing. Independently, the residents rated the pain levels they perceived that the patients experienced. Subsequently, the residents compared the two VAS ratings and discussed differences in ratings with the patients. Descriptive statistics and intraclass correlation coefficients were used to analyze the findings. Results: Differences between patients' and residents' VAS scores gradually became smaller over time for two of the residents. Results for the third resident were less compelling. Conclusions: This study indicated that the training program improved the residents' ability to estimate the pain experiences of their patients, at least for two of the three participating residents. This training program, using periodontal probing as a model, could serve as an educational tool for students and practitioners who want to improve their sensitivity to their patients' pain experiences.