Effects of Pleasant Ambient Fragrances on Dental Fear: Comparing Apples and Oranges

Abstract

Previous studies showed that orange odor reduces the anticipatory anxiety and improves the mood of patients waiting for scheduled appointments in small dental practices. We replicated these previous studies in the setting of three large dental clinics. In addition, we investigated whether another pleasant fruity smell (apple odor) is similarly associated with reduced anxiety. We included 219 patients (117 males, 102 females) between the ages of 18 and 81 in this study. While they were waiting for dental treatment, the participants were either exposed to the ambient odor of orange (N = 81) or apple (N = 69), or they received no stimulation. State anxiety, mood, and perceived level of pain of the participants were assessed using questionnaires. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the responses of patients in each of the three experimental groups. We therefore conclude that orange and apple odors have no effect on the anticipatory anxiety or mood of patients waiting for scheduled appointments in large dental clinics.

Psychophysiological Effects of Aroma Inhalation during a Short-term Cognitive Stressor: A Preliminary Study using Eight Different Aromas

“…Consistent with the findings of our study, there are studies that also reported no significant psychological effects of aroma administration [2,11,14,15].…”

“…A study demonstrated reduced tension and anxiety with apple [7], however no significant effect of apple on anxiety or mood were reported in another one [11]. Two studies showed anxiolytic effects of chamomile [12,13], but no significant effect on anxiety was observable in another study using chamomile [14].…”

“…Moreover, their outcomes might be affected by olfactory fatigue. Examples include perfumer's paper strips [3], cups or vials containing the odourants [5,7], aroma stones [13], impregnated materials worn by the participants [15] and aroma lamps [14] or electric dispensers [11] used to diffuse the odours in the ambient environment. Meanwhile, only a limited evidence is reported so far for the use of well-controlled administration techniques such as olfactometers [8,16].…”

Effect of aromatherapy with orange essential oil on salivary cortisol and pulse rate in children during dental treatment: A randomized controlled clinical trial

“…recommended that aromatherapy can be more useful at a moderate level of anxiety;[27] however, in a study conducted by Toet et al ., the use of orange and apple odors did not reduce anticipatory anxiety and did not improve mood of patients waiting for scheduled visits in large dental clinics. [28] In a study performed by Maura et al ., the effect of gender and ethnicity on preferences and attitudes in children was investigated. They reported that children are very different from adults in their odors and taste preferences and they are likely to use essential oils which they find pleasant.…”

Scent marketing: a bibliographic review

“…Los aromas cítricos son los de mayor uso (Lehrner et al, 2000;Chebat y Michon, 2003;Lehrner et al, 2005;Gueguen y Petr, 2006;Chebat et al, 2008;Toet et al, 2010;Schiffers-tein, et al, 2011;Teller y Dennis, 2012;Doucé y Janssens, 2013;Herrmann et al, 2013). Por otro lado, aunque en la mayoría de estudios se utilizaron aromas sin identificar si eran de tipo comercial u odotipo (Hirsch, 1995;Gueguen y Petr, 2006;Spangenberg et al, 2006;Parsons, 2009;Walsh et al, 2011;Clarke et al, 2012;Lunardo, 2012;Doucé y Janssens, 2013), se destaca que los aromas de tipo comercial suelen ser en su mayoría frutales o naturales, aunque también existen aromas que simulan el olor de alimentos preparados como galleta o pan recién horneado (Parsons, 2009;Lunardo, 2012).…”