You step into a dreaded dungeon, where your mortal enemy, the nemesis, works their magic on another victim. Drills and needles are their sacred weapons. The victim lies still, knowing that any movement could lead to injury. But then, your nemesis gives a final check, removes the patient’s apron, and hands them a small reward for being a cooperative patient. This feared dungeon isn’t a place of torture after all—it’s a dentist’s clinic. The so-called enemy is just a good-natured dentist doing their best to minimize discomfort. Stress and anxiety often accompany patients facing dental treatments, causing them to delay or avoid appointments.
This avoidance can lead to worsening oral health and, ultimately, impact their overall well-being.
What is Dental Anxiety?
Dental anxiety is characterized by a persistent and excessive fear or worry about dental procedures, often beginning in childhood or adolescence. This fear affects about one in five individuals, though some studies suggest the prevalence could be as high as one in three. The anxiety can lead to both psychological and physiological changes, such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, higher blood sugar levels, and an unusually high body temperature.
Traditional Management Strategies:
To manage this anxiety during dental treatments, pharmacological options like sedation can be used. However, many patients prefer non-pharmacological approaches due to the lower risks associated with them. Sedative medications, such as benzodiazepines, can sometimes cause side effects like drowsiness, rash, nausea, headache, or confusion.
What are safer options:
Recent research has highlighted Music Therapy and Aromatherapy as effective methods for mitigating anxiety and improving patients’ physiological responses.
Music Therapy (MT) involves the clinical use of music to achieve therapeutic goals and is administered by a qualified professional. Music Therapy incorporates various musical elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre to address individual needs.
Dental clinics often have a distinctive odor from disinfectants and antiseptics, which can negatively impact patients’ experiences. Olfactory aromatherapy, which involves the use of essential oils through inhalation, massage, or topical application, has been found to be beneficial.
How do they work?
The odorant molecules present in the essential oils are carried to the olfactory epithelium which consists of sensory receptors for these molecules located on the roof of the nasal cavities. These sensory receptors carry the signal via the nerve system called the olfactory system toward the part of the brain associated with emotional, memory and behavioral responses. They release the serotonin and cause inhibition of reuptake of serotonin causing prolonged feel good sensation. Studies have shown that essential oils from lavender, rose, orange, bergamot, lemon, sandalwood, clary sage, roman chamomile and rose-scented geranium can reduce anxiety in children undergoing dental procedures, as evidenced by lower salivary cortisol levels and decreased pulse rates.
Music therapy has been shown to lower levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress. By decreasing cortisol, music helps reduce the overall physiological stress response, leading to a calmer state.
Using non-invasive and safe interventions to manage anxiety can enhance patients' comfort and encourage them to maintain regular dental visits, which in turn promotes better oral and overall health.
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