Investigation of the effect of music listened to by patients with moderate dental anxiety during restoration of posterior occlusal dental caries

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this randomized controlled study was to investigate the effect of music therapy during restorative dental treatments on patients with moderate dental anxiety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy patients were determined to have moderate dental anxiety by the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and were divided randomly into two groups (n = 35). The first group did not listen to music during their restorative treatment (control group), and the second group listened to music of their choice (experimental group). Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature were measured three times for each patient: once before the treatment, once after their dental caries were removed, and once at the end of the treatment. Salivary cortisol samples were taken from each patient before and after the treatment. The MDAS was re-administered to the patients at the end of the treatment, and the data were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Only the diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.042) and the MDAS scores of the experimental group (P = 0.001) were significantly lower than the control group at the end of the treatment. CONCLUSION: While music listening did not have an effect on the physiologic parameters of the patients during restorative treatment, it decreased the MDAS scores of the patients. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although music therapy did not affect the physiological parameters during the restorative dental treatment, it may help to reduce patients’ self reported anxiety level.