21 February 2023

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Can music decrease anxiety, pain during dental implant surgery?

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Purpose

Music is an effective tool in the management of anxiety during some surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to test the effect of baroque (BM) and classical music (CM) as a nonpharmacological therapy to control anxiety and pain levels among patients undergoing dental implant placement surgery. The study was published online Oct. 13, 2022, in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 

Methods

Researchers conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial of patients attending a dental clinic and enrolled 26 patients of Spanish nationality requiring single-tooth dental implant. Each patient was assigned to one of the three experimental groups, which acted as an independent variable: Group I (n = 8) listened to BM; Group II (n = 10) listened to CM; and Group III (n = 8) did not listen to music and was the control group (C). 

The dependent variables were divided into physiological variables and psychological variables. The physiological dependent variables analyzed were systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation, recorded at four different times during surgery. 

The Kruskal-Wallis test compared each of these variables between the three experimental groups. The psychological dependent variable analyzed was the degree of anxiety, measured by the self-completed Modified Dental Anxiety Scale and Visual Analog Scale (before and after surgery). The Wilcoxon statistical test compared degree of anxiety before and after surgery. In all cases, the level of statistical significance was set at P < .05.

Results

The mean age of the sample was 46.5 ± 10.6, 50% male and 50% female. The research team found statistically significant differences in degree of anxiety before and after surgery in the BM before and BM after and CM groups; CM before and CM after and were not found in group C; C before and C after. 

When comparing the perceived pain after the intervention among the three groups (C, BM, and CM), no significant differences were observed between them.

Conclusion

Listening to BM and CM reduces anxiety in patients undergoing dental implant placement surgery. Music should be applied in this practice.

Lorenzo Á. Esteban Pellicer, Antonio J. Conde Villar, José L. Martínez Rubio, Elisabeth Casañas, and Roberto Estévez Luaña. "Can Music Decrease Anxiety and Pain During Dental Implant Surgery? A Randomized Clinical Trial." Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. October 13, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joms.2022.10.004