Music as a nonpharmacological methodology for dental anxiety management in routine dental procedures during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Dental anxiety is one of the key reasons behind patient's unwillingness to seek dental treatment. It is quite challenging to manage and hinders the ability of dentist to deliver the best dental treatment. Many nonpharmacological therapies have been introduced to manage dental anxiety, and music therapy is one of such therapy. Aim and Objective: The aim of the study was to assess whether music has an effect in reducing anxiety levels in patients during routine dental procedures. This was a randomized control experimental study. Materials and Methods: In this study, 100 patients (mean age: 32 years) from the Outpatient Department of SDKSDC, Nagpur, India, who volunteered and consented to participate in the study were included in the study. Inclusion criteria were patients who require only routine dental treatment. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups: the control group (n = 50) and the study group (n = 50). Patients in the study group were exposed to relaxing, low tempo music through headphones during routine dental procedures which include scaling and restorative procedure. Both groups were assessed using Corah's dental anxiety scale, blood pressure, and heart rate, before and after treatment. Results: Music therapy was effective in reducing anxiety during the procedures; participants in the study group had significantly lower anxiety scores compared to the control group. Conclusion: Music therapy has been shown to be an effective nonpharmacological approach to reduce dental anxiety among patients during routine dental procedures.