Table 2

Primary and secondary outcomes reported by the studies (n=9)

Author (year)
(n=participants)
Intervention group
(n=participants)
Comparator group
(n=participants)
*Primary outcomes (scales)Primary outcome resultsSecondary outcomesSecondary outcome results
Coldwell et al 199723
(n=48)
Alprazolam 0.25 mg (n=12)
Alprazolam 0.5 mg
(n=12)
Alprazolam 0.75 mg (n=12)
Placebo (n=12)Anxiety
(DAS, OSCQ and ISAR)
Decrease in number of anxious patients with increasing doses of alprazolamNot reported
Branco, Bassualdo 201225
(n=30)
Diazepam 10 mg (n=10)
Lorazepam 1 mg (n=10)
Placebo (n=10)Anxiety
(Corah’s DAS)
Decreased anxiety compared with baseline levels but no statistical difference between groupsNot reported
Studer et al 201229
Crossover (washout of 30 days)
(n=12)
Midazolam 7.5 mg (n=12)Clonidine 150 μg
(n=12)
Not reportedSatisfaction with the treatment
Blood pressure (BP)
77% of patients (midazolam group) versus 75% (clonidine group)
No statistical difference between the groups for BP
Silveira-Souto et al 201428
Crossover (washout of 15 days)
(n=30)
Erythrina mulungu 500 mg (n=30)Placebo
(n=30)
Anxiety
(Corah’s DAS)
Decreased anxiety compared with baseline levels but no statistical difference between groupsHeart rate
Blood pressure
Oxygen saturation
No statistical difference between the groups for outcomes
Dantas et al 201727
Crossover (washout of 15–30 days)
(n=40)
Passiflora incarnata L. 260 mg (n=40)Midazolam 15 mg
(n=40)
Anxiety
(Corah’s DAS)
Decreased anxiety compared with baseline levels but no statistical difference between groupsHeart rate
Blood pressure
Oxygen saturation
No statistical difference between the groups for outcomes
Pinheiro et al 201430
(n=20)
Valeriana officinalis
100 mg (n=10)
Placebo
(n=10)
Anxiety
(DAS)
Herbal medicine was more effective than placeboHeart rate
Blood pressure
No statistical difference between the groups for outcomes
Romano et al 201124
(n=40)
Midazolam 15 mg (n=20)Placebo (n=20)Not reportedHeart rateNo statistical difference between the groups
Manani et al 197921
(n=82)
Diazepam 15 mg (n=19)
Trazodone 25 mg (n=20)
Trazodone 50 mg (n=21)
Placebo (n=22)Not reportedHeart rate
Blood pressure
No statistical difference between the groups
Shivananda et al 201426
Crossover (n=20) (washout: not reported)
Diazepam 5 mg (n=20)
Diazepam 10 mg (n=20)
Placebo (n=20)Not reportedOxygen saturationNo statistical difference between the groups
  • Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS): categorises participants into not anxious, slightly anxious, fairly anxious and very anxious.

  • Oral Surgery Confidence Questionnaire (OSCQ): contains 11 items rated from 0, not at all confident, to 9, extremely confident.

  • Interval Scale of Anxiety Response (ISAR): contains a 90 mm vertical line labelled with descriptors alongside intervals determined according to estimated magnitude: ‘calm, relaxed’, ‘a little nervous’, ‘tense, upset’, ‘afraid’, ‘very afraid’, ‘panicked’ and ‘terrified’.

  • Corah’s Dental Anxiety Scale: contains four questions with five possible answers that assess the patient’s feelings, signs and reactions related to the dental procedure, as very little anxious (up to five points), slightly anxious (6–10 points), moderately anxious (11–15 points) points and extremely anxious (16–20 points).

  • *The primary outcome ‘adverse effect’ is reported in tables 3 and 4.