The effects of aromatherapy and music use on dental anxiety and pain in children prior to infiltrative anesthesia

Background and Aim: Dental anxiety is a common problem in children, negatively impacting their quality of life by leading to avoidance of dental treatments and neglect of oral hygiene. Therefore, early diagnosis and management of dental anxiety in children are crucial. Various non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches have been proposed in the literature to reduce dental anxiety. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of lavender aromatherapy and music therapy on dental anxiety and pain in children prior to infiltrative anesthesia. Material and Methods: Our study was conducted with 105 volunteer patients aged between 6 and 12 years who presented to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry Clinic at the Trakya University Faculty of Dentistry for routine dental treatment requiring local infiltration anesthesia for dental procedures. Patients were randomly assigned to three groups: aromatherapy, music therapy, and control group. The participants' levels of dental anxiety were assessed using the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) before and after the procedure. Physiological parameters (blood pressure, pulse rate, oxygen saturation) were measured and recorded before the procedure, after the implementation of behavioral guidance techniques, and after the procedure for each group. Perceived pain during anesthesia application was subjectively and objectively evaluated using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) Pain Assessment Scale in all three groups. Results: The total CFSS-DS scores before and after the procedure were found to be similar in the control and aromatherapy groups (p > 0.05), while post-procedure scores were significantly lower in the music group (p < 0.001). It was observed that post-procedure heart rate values in the control group increased significantly more than in the aromatherapy and music groups (p < 0.05). Regarding systolic blood pressure values, it was determined that the changes between pre-procedure and post-procedure measurements, as well as between post-procedure measurements after behavior guidance, were significantly less in the music and aromatherapy groups compared to the control group (p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between groups in other parameters (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Music therapy and aromatherapy applications have been found to be preferred methods as adjunctive approaches in reducing dental anxiety and pain in children, with music therapy being more effective than aromatherapy.