Effect of personalized musical intervention on burden of care in dental implant surgery: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Abstract

ObjectiveTo explore a personalized musical intervention's effect on burden of care during dental implants placement. MethodsRandomized Controlled Trial in 24 dental implant surgery patients. A personalized music intervention (Music Care© application) or an audiobook control condition was administered. Burden of care (a composite outcome including self-reported anxiety, pain, and dissatisfaction felt during surgery), expected pain prior to surgery, pre- and post-surgery affect, memory of pain felt during surgery, and participants’ emotional judgments of the music and audiobook listening were assessed. ResultsThe personalized music intervention significantly reduced the burden of care for dental implant surgery (p = 0.02; d = 1.07). Both groups reported positive affect after surgery, but the music group felt better. The pain remembered after seven postoperative days was significantly lower in the music group (p = 0.02). Participants judged the music listened to during surgery as more relaxing and pleasant than the audiobook (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively). ConclusionsPersonalized music intervention could be effective in decreasing patients’ burden of care during dental implant surgery. These results need to be confirmed by a rigorous randomized control trial. Clinical significanceThe burden of care associated with the pain and anxiety experienced during dental implant surgery can be reduced using a personalized and standardized music intervention. This approach may provide a simple complementary approach to improve surgical care in various settings.