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 (I
2
= 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
Impacted mandibular third molar removal is the most common procedure performed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. An array of alternative procedures have been suggested, like operculectomy in cases of pericoronitis and coronectomy in certain cases. However, these procedures pose several disadvantages, and we propose a relatively non-invasive 'straight lift technique'. This technique is specifically useful in straightening abnormally positioned mesioangular third molars as a substitute of complete removal. This can improve tooth function, eliminate the need for surgical intervention, and reduce the risk of complications associated with third molar removal.
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