Abstract
BACKGROUND: The interaction between stress and periodontal treatment is a topic of growing interest. It stands out as a field of research that sheds light on the complexity of oral health in individuals subjected to high levels of emotional stress. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to provide a protocol for a systematic review to examine the scientific evidence related to the influence of psychological stress on the response to periodontal treatment. METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines will be followed, and the study is based on a formulation of PECO (Participants, Exposure, Comparators, and Outcomes) questions. This systematic review will involve a literature search covering studies published from January 2000 to May 2024. It will include searching the PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOHost, Scopus, and ProQuest databases to identify relevant studies. After selection, data extraction and quality assessment (using the Ottawa-Newcastle Scale) of the included studies will be carried out. The objective is to integrate high-quality evidence on how psychological stress impacts the outcomes of periodontal treatment. Depending on the number and methodological consistency of included studies, the results may be presented by meta-analysis or qualitative synthesis. RESULTS: The current stage of the study consists of selecting studies for the systematic review as outlined by this protocol. The search, screening, and data extraction began in January 2024. The final results are expected by July 2024, with final manuscript submission planned for November 2024. CONCLUSIONS: This review will help clarify how psychological factors, such as stress, influence the results of periodontal treatment, providing valuable guidelines for future research and helping clinicians make decisions about the best treatment options for patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework (OSF) Registries qfs6p; https://osf.io/qfs6p. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/56765.