Image source: Natural Science News, 2024
Patients with sensitive gag reflexes may find it difficult to make dental appointments and have difficulty receiving the dental procedures they need. To address this issue, researchers investigated whether aromatherapy can help ease the gag reflex during oral stimulation. In this study, the gag reflex of 24 healthy subjects was examined. The researchers wanted to find out how far a standard saliva ejector could be inserted into a person’s throat without triggering the gag reflex. This maximum tolerance level was measured to quantify the gag reflex. Male and female participants, with an average age of about 34 years, underwent two sessions: one with aromatherapy using peppermint essential oil and the other with distilled water as a placebo for comparison. The gag reflex was measured before and after each session. In addition, nitrous oxide/oxygen inhalation, also known as laughing gas, was used as a positive control to see if it had any effect on the gag reflex. The results were very suggestive. We found that the gag reflex actually increased after using peppermint essential oil and the placebo compared to the initial measurements before the session began. Nitrous oxide/oxygen also caused an increase in the gag reflex. However, there was no significant difference in the rate of increase in the gag reflex between the laughing gas and aromatherapy sessions. Interestingly, the increase after the placebo session was significantly less. Despite the increase in the gag reflex after peppermint essential oil use, the results suggest that aromatherapy may be a useful means of reducing the gag reflex during dental procedures. This result may pave the way for further research and potentially new treatments in dental care for people with sensitive gag reflexes. The study has been recorded in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry and has been given an identifier for credibility and reference. This study adds valuable knowledge to the ongoing pursuit of more comfortable and patient-friendly dental care methods.
Medical Health Plant Science
References
Main Research
1) Effect of aromatherapy using peppermint essential oil on the gag reflex: a randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind, crossover study.
Issued on January 27, 2024
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04334-3
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