Effect of Aromatherapy on Dental Anxiety and Vital Signs During Impacted Wisdom Tooth Surgery: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Lavender has calming and anxiolytic properties. The present study investigated the impact of lavender aromatherapy on dental anxiety in patients undergoing bilateral impacted mandibular third molar surgery. Methods: Twenty-five patients requiring bilateral impacted mandibular third molar extraction were included. One side was operated on under lavender oil aromatherapy (lavender condition), and the contralateral side served as the placebo condition. Aromatherapy was administered 15 minutes before surgery using a diffuser with lavender oil. Baseline anxiety levels were assessed using the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS), while vital signs were used as objective indicators of perioperative stress. Vital signs (pulse rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation) were recorded before and after surgery. Postoperative pain intensity was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), and trismus was recorded. Results: The study sample consisted of 25 patients evaluated under both crossover conditions. MDAS scores ranged between 5 and 22, with a mean of 10.46 ± 4.05. Statistically significant differences were observed between the lavender and placebo conditions for postoperative oxygen saturation (P = .033) and post-operative systolic blood pressure (P = .023). No statistically significant differences were found between the conditions for MDAS, VAS, pulse rate, or diastolic blood pressure (P > .05). However, within the lavender condition, a statistically significant reduction in oxygen saturation was observed from preoperative to post-operative periods (P = .018). Conclusions: Lavender oil aromatherapy may influence selected post-operative physiological parameters, particularly systolic blood pressure and oxygen saturation. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously, and further studies are needed to establish standardized protocols. While it serves as a nonpharmacological adjunct to standard treatments, further studies are needed to establish standardized protocols.