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Introduction: Anxiety, stress, and fear of pain are unpleasant emotions associated with dental treatment. The sensation of pain or anxiety in patients may cause undesirable cardiovascular changes and in some cases, it might lead to a medical emergency.

Objective: The present study was conducted to observe the changes in blood pressure before and during treatment and to compare the changes in blood pressure between first and subsequent visit.

Materials and Method: In this quantitative analytical cross-sectional study, 132 patients visiting the AIMS dental clinic due to acute pulpitis from May 1st to October 31st 2019 were included after getting institutional ethical approval. Resting blood pressure was measured in supine position before treatment. Local anaesthesia without adrenaline was injected and blood pressure was again recorded 10 and 20 minutes after injecting local anaesthesia during the procedure. Change in mean arterial pressure and average of mean arterial pressure was determined during each visit for comparison.

Result: At each visit, there was rise in blood pressure during procedure in both sex across all age groups. The change in mean arterial pressure between first (5.43±7.42 mmHg) and second (4.86±5.76 mmHg) visit was not significant (P >0.05). Average mean arterial pressure during second visit (92.46±10.49 mmHg) was lower than first visit (95.81±11.62 mmHg) which was found to be significant (P <0.05).

Conclusion: Pain and anxiety related to dental treatment causes rise in blood pressure. As pain subsides and patient becomes comfortable with the clinical environment there is fall in blood pressure.

Anxiety; blood pressure; pulpitis.