Physiological responses
anxiety
Saliva samples were collected to measure salivary cortisol levels as potential indicators of anxiety and stress. Saliva was sampled in the waiting room before and after the clinical examination using Salivette® cotton swabs and tubes (Sarstedt). The child chewed 1 min on a cotton swab until the piece became soaked and collected according to the manufacturer's instructions. Collected saliva samples were centrifuged (1000Heart rate variability and skin conductance were measured during the clinical examination using a digital data acquisition system (Biopac MP36R; Biopac Systems, Inc.). Per the manufacturer's instructions, two electrodes were affixed under the foot soles, three to the chest, and connected to wireless recording boxes attached around the ankle and chest. The recorded data were analyzed using dedicated software (AcqKnowledge; version 4.4; Biopac Systems).