Pain perception, coping strategies, and stress management among periodontal patients with repeated surgeries.

The relationships between coping strategies, stress response during periodontal surgery, and perceived pain after each of two surgical procedures were studied in 42 adult women between the ages of 28 and 67 years. The presurgical use of coping by indirect action was positively correlated with decreased stress behavior during each surgery. The use of attention-coping strategies was significantly correlated with pain measures after each surgery, while avoidance-coping strategies were not. Age and patients' rating of pain were the best predictors of the use of attention coping. These findings suggest that preoperative preparation which includes information on enhancing attention-coping may assist some patients with postsurgical pain and discomfort.