AIM: To compare the safety and effectiveness of Ylang-Ylang flower essential oil and Lavender flower essential oil in aromatherapy in reducing dental anxiety in children.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of lavender flower essential oil and Ylang-Ylang flower essential oil on reducing dental anxiety and then to compare the effect of both to evaluate if there is a difference.

PRIMARY HYPOTHESIS: There is a difference in reducing the dental anxiety on using Aromatherapy with Ylang-ylang flower essential oil and Lavender Flower essential oil in 6-10-year-old children before and during the first restorative Appointment

NULL HYPOTHESIS: There is no difference in reducing the dental anxiety on using Aromatherapy with Ylang-ylang flower essential oil and Lavender Flower essential oil in 6-10-year-old children before and during First Restorative Treatment Appointment

METHODOLOGY: 60 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria will be selected for the study.

b) Allocation of the patients into the three groups will be done randomly through the lottery method.

GROUP I (20 children): children not subjected to aromatherapy

GROUP II (20 children): children subjected to aromatherapy using Lavender Flower (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil

GROUP III (20 children): children subjected to aromatherapy using Ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata) flower essential oil

All the participants will be counselled for the restorative procedure using "tell, show, do” technique.

Inhalation Aromatherapy essential oils will be diluted: 1% dilution (1 drop per teaspoon of carrier oil ; 5-6 drops per ounce). Carrier oil will be jojoba oil. Every patient will have a fresh batch of diluted essential oil diffused in the room.

d)     The essential oil aromatherapy diffuser will be on for 15 minutes before the patients enters the dental setup, after which it will be turned off. The patient will then be introduced to the dental environment and counselled using “tell-show-do” technique for approximately 5 minutes, after which the treatment will be started and completed in approximately 15 minutes.

e)     In Group II, children will be subjected to Aromatherapy with Lavender Flower (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil.

f)      Group III children will be subjected to Aromatherapy with Ylang-Ylang flower (Cananga odorata) essential oil.

g)     The anxiety levels in children of all the groups will be recorded at two different intervals:

·       Before entering the dental setup

·       During procedure while using aromatherapy in first restorative appointment treatment.

·       Anxiety levels will be assessed using a facial image scale. 

 Pulse rate will be monitored using a pulse oximeter.

DATA ANALYSIS will be done as follows:

Descriptive quantitative data will be expressed in mean and standard deviation, respectively. Data normality=Shapiro-Wilk test. Inter-group comparison of means between 3 groups=one-way ANOVA test followed by post-hoc Tukey test for pairwise comparison. Intra-group comparison of means before and after completion of restorative procedure will be done with the help of paired-t test. Confidence interval=95% and probability of α error=5%. Power of study=80%. P<0.05 is considered significant.