"The Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on Dental Anxiety"

This randomized control trial will be conducted at the Dow University of Health Sciences-Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences. It aims to assess the effect of aromatherapy on dental anxiety in dental patients, during dental procedures The study will involve 68 patients aged 20-45, with equal numbers assigned to two groups: Experimental group receiving aromatherapy and control receiving placebo intervention. Participants will be selected using a non-probability convenience sampling technique, with randomization achieved through Sequentially Numbered, Opaque, and Sealed Envelopes (SNOSE). Inclusion criteria include consenting patients of both gender aged 20-45 years and seeking for one of the following dental procedures: root canal treatment, scaling and polishing or tooth extraction for the very first time while patients with respiratory diseases, allergies to lavender oils, or mental and physical disabilities will be excluded. Patient who may refuse to continue the intervention and are non-cooperative will be excluded.

Data collection will include administration of anxiety questionnaires before the intervention and after the procedure. Intervention (Aromatherapy) will be administered via nebulizer for 15 minutes. The control group will receive placebo intervention via nebulizer filled with normal saline for 15 minutes Physiological data such as blood pressure, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation will also be collected to assess the body's stress response.

The sample size was calculated using Open Epi software, with a margin of error of 5% and a significance level of 0.05. Descriptive statistics will summarize the data, while inferential statistics, including paired t-tests and RM will be used for within-group and between-group comparisons, respectively. SPSS version 21 will be used for data analysis, with a significance level set at ≤ 0.05.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients who will give consent to the study.
• Patients aged 20-45 years undergoing dental treatment for the first time.
• Both gender.
• Patient seeking any one of the following dental procedures: root canal treatment, scaling and polishing or tooth extraction.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with colds, asthma, and any other respiratory diseases.
• Patients with acoustic problems.
• Patients who are allergic Lavender oils that have been used in this study.
• Patients with mental and physical disabilities.
• Patient who may refuse to continue the intervention will be excluded.
• Non cooperative patients.