Peppermint Aromatherapy May Ease Gagging: A Careful Study

Greg Howard
28th January, 2024

Peppermint Aromatherapy May Ease Gagging: A Careful Study

Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)

Photo adapted from: R Clarke / CC BY (Source)
Gagging during dental treatment is a common problem, potentially disrupting procedures and hindering effective care[2]. It can prevent dentists from fully examining a patient’s mouth, administering local anaesthetic, or fitting prosthetics like dentures. While the exact causes are complex, involving both physical and psychological factors, a sensitive gag reflex can significantly impact a patient’s experience and the quality of dental work. Identifying ways to manage this reflex is therefore important. Researchers at Nippon Dental University recently investigated whether aromatherapy, specifically using peppermint essential oil, could reduce the gag reflex during oral stimulation[1]. The study involved 24 healthy adults, split evenly between men and women, with an average age of around 34. Participants underwent a series of tests where a saliva ejector – a small tube used to remove fluids from the mouth – was slowly moved towards the back of their throat. The distance the ejector could travel before triggering a gag reflex was carefully measured, providing a quantifiable assessment of gag reflex sensitivity. Before and after each session, participants’ gag reflexes were measured. They experienced two different sessions: one involving aromatherapy with peppermint oil, and another with a placebo – distilled water, which has no scent. A third measurement was taken while participants inhaled nitrous oxide/oxygen, commonly known as ‘laughing gas’, which is known to have a relaxing effect and was used as a positive control to compare against the aromatherapy. The study design was ‘randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind, crossover’ meaning participants experienced all conditions (peppermint, placebo, nitrous oxide) in a random order, and the researchers administering the tests didn’t know which treatment each participant was receiving at the time (single-blind). This helps to minimise bias. Interestingly, the study found that gag reflex values increased after both the peppermint aromatherapy and the placebo sessions, compared to initial baseline measurements. This suggests that the act of having something introduced into the mouth, even with a pleasant scent, can heighten sensitivity. However, the increase in gag reflex was significantly less with peppermint aromatherapy than with the placebo. Nitrous oxide also significantly increased the gag reflex, at a similar rate to the peppermint aromatherapy. These findings are particularly interesting when considered alongside previous research. A study involving over 11,000 Dutch twins found that gagging during dental treatment was linked to anxiety, fear of dental procedures, and poorer oral health[3]. This suggests a psychological component to the gag reflex, and highlights the potential benefit of interventions aimed at reducing anxiety. While the current study doesn’t directly address the psychological aspects, the finding that aromatherapy can lessen the increase in gag reflex compared to a placebo suggests a potential pathway for reducing anxiety-related sensitivity. Earlier work also established a clear link between gagging and dental fear[4], and that objective measurements of gagging severity correlate with a patient’s subjective experience of gagging. The researchers concluded that peppermint aromatherapy shows promise as a method for reducing the gag reflex during dental procedures. The fact that the effect was significantly different from the placebo, though not as strong as nitrous oxide, indicates that the peppermint scent itself may have a calming effect, or potentially alters the perception of the stimulus.

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References

Main Study

1) Effect of aromatherapy with peppermint essential oil on the gag reflex: a randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind, crossover study.

Published 27th January, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04334-3

Related Studies

2) The etiology and management of gagging: a review of the literature.

Journal: The Journal of prosthetic dentistry, Issue: Vol 91, Issue 5, May 2004

3) Self-reported gagging in dentistry: prevalence, psycho-social correlates and oral health.

https://doi.org/10.1111/joor.12289

4) Gagging prevalence and its association with dental fear in 4-12-year-old children in a dental setting.

https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.12445


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