Research summary · Field study · 2005
Orange and lavender in a dental waiting room: both lowered anxiety
In a study of 200 dental patients, those who waited with orange or lavender scent in the waiting room reported lower anxiety and better mood than patients who waited with no scent and no music.
Reviewed by Simon Faure-Field · 8 October 2026 · Based on the published abstract
Part of our evidence review: Does scent reduce anxiety in dental and medical waiting rooms?
At a glance
Key findings
- 200patients aged 18 to 77, half women and half men.
- 2 scentsorange and lavender both lowered anxiety and improved mood compared with the control group.
- 4 groupsorange, lavender, music, and a control with no scent and no music.
The study
Citation and study details
Citation: Lehrner, J., Marwinski, G., Lehr, S., Jöhren, P., & Deecke, L. (2005). Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood in a dental office. Physiology & Behavior, 86(1–2), 92–95.
Read the original: doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.06.031
- Study typeControlled field studyFour independent groups
- Sample200 dental patientsAged 18–77, half women
- SettingA dental office waiting roomScent, music or neither
- Evidence gradeA: direct field evidenceReal patients before real treatment
Method
What the researchers did
The researchers tested whether the earlier orange result extended to lavender, and compared scent with music.
The study set out to answer two questions: whether the anxiety-reducing effect seen with orange scent in the group’s earlier study also applied to lavender, and whether a stimulus for another sense, music, had the same effect.
Two hundred patients aged 18 to 77, half women and half men, were assigned to one of four groups while they waited for dental treatment: ambient orange scent, ambient lavender scent, music, or a control with no scent and no music. Patients were told the study was about the link between pain and mood. Anxiety, mood, alertness and calmness were assessed while they waited.
Results
What they found
Both scents lowered anxiety and improved mood compared with the control condition.
Compared with patients in the control condition, patients who waited with orange scent or with lavender scent reported lower anxiety and better mood.
The published abstract does not report the result for the music group, so we cannot say here whether music had the same effect.
The authors conclude that odours can alter emotional states, and that using odours may help reduce anxiety in dental patients.
Limitations
Limitations
One practice, self-reported measures, and a summary based on the abstract.
The study took place in a single dental office, and all outcomes were self-reported. Patients were given a cover story about pain and mood, which reduces, but does not remove, the chance that expectations shaped their answers.
This summary is based on the published abstract and the publisher’s record. We have not yet reviewed the full paper, so details such as how the scents were diffused, their strength and the music result are not reported here.
A note on the evidence
How strong is this evidence?
Supportive: a larger follow-up that extended the finding to lavender.
With 200 patients and four groups, this study is larger than its 2000 predecessor and extends the result from orange to lavender. It comes from the same research group, and an independent replication of the orange condition in large Dutch clinics found no effect. The lavender result is consistent with two later independent studies.
For commercial spaces
What it means for commercial spaces
For dental practices, this is one of three studies in which lavender in the waiting room lowered anxiety, and the one that tested orange and lavender side by side. It supports using a calming scent as a modest comfort measure. Because the abstract does not report the music comparison, the study cannot yet tell a practice whether scent works better or worse than background music.
Scent Swirl supplies ambient scenting for dental practices. See how scenting works in dental clinics →
How to cite this summary
Scent Swirl. (2026). Summary of Lehrner et al. (2005), Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood in a dental office. Scent Research Library. https://scentswirl.com/research/lehrner-2005-orange-lavender-dental-anxiety/ (last reviewed 8 October 2026 by Simon Faure-Field).
This summary is based on the published abstract. We have not yet reviewed the full paper. If you spot an error or know of a study we should add, we would like to hear from you.
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