The Effect of Lemongrass and Lavender Aromatherapy on Dental Anxiety and Pain Perception in Children Undergoing Local Anesthetic Administration: A Randomized Clinical Trial

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating whether aromatherapy with lemongrass or lavender essential oils can reduce dental anxiety and pain in children aged 7 to 11 years undergoing local anesthetic injections in a pediatric dental setting. The study aims to measure anxiety through salivary cortisol levels, pain perception, and physiological stress using heart rate. This clinical trial is randomized and compares lavender aromatherapy, lemongrass aromatherapy, and a control group without aromatherapy to assess calming effects in young dental patients. Participants will inhale either lavender or lemongrass essential oil through a nebulizer for two minutes before receiving local anesthesia with 4% articaine and 1:100,000 epinephrine after topical anesthesia is applied. The control group will receive the standard procedure without aromatherapy. The study uses simple randomization with concealed allocation and single blinding of outcome assessors, though participants and operators are not blinded due to the nature of the intervention. Children involved in the study will provide saliva samples before and after the dental procedure to measure cortisol levels. Their pain will be assessed right after anesthesia using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale, and heart rate will be monitored before and after the injection using a pulse oximeter. The researchers will analyze these measurements to evaluate anxiety, pain, and physiological stress. The total study participation includes these assessments during the dental visit, with the main outcome focused on anxiety reduction within 30 minutes after the procedure.

Assessing the Efficacy of Lemongrass and Lavender Aromatherapy in Reducing Dental Anxiety and Pain Associated With Local Anesthetic Injections in Pediatric Dental Patients