Is aromatherapy associated with patient’s dental anxiety levels? A systematic review and meta-analysis

The use of aromatherapy for the reduction of anxiety levels during dental treatment procedures has been well established in the literature; however, there is limited evidence regarding its efficacy. The present meta-analysis is an attempt to assess the association between the use of aromatherapy and anxiety levels among dental patients.A comprehensive search was conducted across Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO host, Cochrane databases, and Google Scholar for studies evaluating aromatherapy and anxiety level among dental patients. PRISMA guidelines were followed for the meta-analysis. Randomized and cluster-randomized trials comparing aromatherapy with controls were included. The random-effects model was used to assess the mean differences in anxiety levels of patients visiting dental OPD. The significance value was set at P < 0.05. Six studies were identified that met the requirements for inclusion. Aromatherapy was significantly associated with reduction in patient anxiety levels during dental treatment (pooled mean difference: -3.36 [95% CI, -3.77 – -2.95, P = 0.00001). Low heterogeneity was noted between studies (I2 = 1%, P = 0.41) analyzed in the meta-analysis. High certainty of the evidence was obtained from the association between the use of aromatherapy and dental anxiety. This meta-analysis suggests that aromatherapy is effective in reducing dental anxiety. When used judiciously, the results of this work should encourage the use of aromatherapy to reduce patient anxiety levels during dental procedures

Is aromatherapy associated with patient’s dental anxiety levels? A systematic review and meta-analysis

The use of aromatherapy for the reduction of anxiety levels during dental treatment procedures has been well established in the literature; however, there is limited evidence regarding its efficacy. The present meta-analysis is an attempt to assess the association between the use of aromatherapy and anxiety levels among dental patients.A comprehensive search was conducted across Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO host, Cochrane databases, and Google Scholar for studies evaluating aromatherapy and anxiety level among dental patients. PRISMA guidelines were followed for the meta-analysis. Randomized and cluster-randomized trials comparing aromatherapy with controls were included. The random-effects model was used to assess the mean differences in anxiety levels of patients visiting dental OPD. The significance value was set at P < 0.05. Six studies were identified that met the requirements for inclusion. Aromatherapy was significantly associated with reduction in patient anxiety levels during dental treatment (pooled mean difference: -3.36 [95% CI, -3.77 – -2.95, P = 0.00001). Low heterogeneity was noted between studies (I2 = 1%, P = 0.41) analyzed in the meta-analysis. High certainty of the evidence was obtained from the association between the use of aromatherapy and dental anxiety. This meta-analysis suggests that aromatherapy is effective in reducing dental anxiety. When used judiciously, the results of this work should encourage the use of aromatherapy to reduce patient anxiety levels during dental procedures

Successful surgical osteoplasty of the left main coronary artery with concomitant mitral valve replacement and tricuspid annuloplasty.

A 50-year-old woman with rheumatic heart disease, mitral stenosis, and critical isolated left main ostial stenosis was successfully treated by mitral valve replacement, tricuspid annuloplasty, and surgery of left main osteoplasty and is reported for its rarity. Notable clinical findings included an intermittently irregular pulse, blood pressure of 100/70 mmHg, cardiomegaly, a diastolic precordial thrill, a mid-diastolic murmur without presystolic accentuation that was loudest at the mitral area. Chest radiograph revealed cardiomegaly with a cardiothoracic ratio of 0.7 due to enlarged right atrium, right ventricle with a straightened left heart border and evidence of pulmonary hypertension. The investigation shows that surgical reconstruction of the left main coronary artery is safe and effective for the treatment.

Oral health status of 12-year-old children with disabilities and controls in Southern India

Background: This study explores the association of disabilities and oral health. The aim of thestudy was to compare and assess oral health status of 12-year-old children with disabilities withhealthy controls in Karnataka, Southern India.Methods: A total of 191 schoolchildren with disabilities were examined from 12-year age group.For comparison, 203 healthy children were randomly selected from other government schools.Clinical data were collected on periodontal status, dental caries, treatment needs and dentalmalocclusion using WHO criteria. A chi-squared test was used to compare between categoricalvariables. Linear and logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the importance ofthe factors associated with caries status.Results: Significant differences were noted in the frequency of sugar consumption between subjectswith disabilities and their healthy controls. Subjects with disabilities had significantly higher CPI(community periodontal index) scores than their healthy counterparts (p<0.001). Dental carieswas present in 89.8% children from special schools as compared with 58.6% from the controlgroup. Mean DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth) values for special school children and healthycontrols were 2.52 ± 2.61 and 0.61 ± 1.12, respectively. Higher prevalence of malocclusion wasseen in subjects with special healthcare needs, with 66.4% having definite malocclusion and17.4% of controls having malocclusion (p<0.001). The mean values for treatment needs werehigher in subjects with disabilities. Regression analysis showed that, type of school, male gender,low frequency of brushing, increased frequency of sugar consumption between meals and dentalmalocclusion were significantly related to dental caries.Conclusion: Poor oral health of children with disabilities as compared with their healthy controlsin terms of periodontal status, dentition status, treatment needs, and dentofacial anomalies wasfound in our study, which confirms a need for preventive treatment for these children