From Alginate to Pixel: Comparing the Effect of Two Dental Impression Methods on Children's Anxiety

Background/Objectives: Alginate dental impressions are often among the most anxie-ty-inducing procedures for pediatric patients, due to discomfort caused by nausea, gag-ging, and the vomiting reflex. This technique frequently raises anxiety levels in children. In contrast, intraoral scanners are increasingly used in clinical practice and offer a more comfortable alternative. Physiological parameters such as heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO₂) are useful, objective indicators of anxiety. This study aimed to evaluate significant changes in HR and SpO₂ during dental impression procedures using two techniques—analog (alginate) and digital (intraoral scanner)—in both dental arches, to determine the less anxiety-inducing method. Methods: A non-interventional clinical study was conducted on a sample of 30 children. A fingertip pulse oximeter was used to measure HR and SpO₂ during impression-taking with alginate and with an intraoral scanner. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS®. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were calculated, and the Friedman and Wilcoxon tests with Bon-ferroni correction were applied, with a 5% significance level. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Murcia. Results: Alginate impressions produced a statistically significant increase in HR in both the upper [(19 ± 11) bpm] and lower [(18 ± 9) bpm] arches, compared to the scanner [(7 ± 5) bpm and (7 ± 4) bpm, respectively] (χ² = 49.30; p < 0.001). SpO₂ levels also dropped more with alginate in both upper and lower arches [(−2 ± 2) % and (−2 ± 3) %, respectively] than with the scanner [(−1 ± 1) % in both arches] (χ²= 21.41; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Alginate impressions triggered a meaningful anxiety response, as evidenced by significant changes in HR and SpO₂. Intraoral scanners were less invasive, given the greater proximity of the physiological parameters to the baseline values, making them a promising alternative in pediatric dentistry.