Effects of Music on Dental Anxiety and Pain during Ultrasonic Teeth Scaling

치석제거술시 치통 및 불안에 대한 음악의 효과

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of music on dental pain and anxiety during ultrasonic scaling. One hundred and twenty five patients visited dental unit of Soonchunhyang University Chunan hospital for scaling were enrolled during August 1999 and February 2000. The patients were allocated randomly into two groups. music (n = 61) and control groups (n = 65). The music group patients listened to self-selected music using an earphone during scaling. Standardized questionnaire were used to assess the subjective denial pain and anxiety before and after scaling in both groups. In music group, more information on music effect was collected. To evaluate changes of physical signs by scaling, blood pressure and pulse were checked by a wrist check oscillometric. The results were as follows: 1. No significant difference in dental pain and anxiety between before and after scaling was observed in music group. However, the music group patients were satisfied with music because of reduction of pain(93.5%) and anxiety(93.4%), 96.7% of music subjects wanted to listen to music in next scaling. 2. While no significant difference in systolic blood pressure before scaling between music and control groups, systolic blood pressure of control group during scaling was significantly higher than that of music group(P<0.05). 3. In multiple logistic regression. the odds ratio(OR) of pain was decreased with age and female patients had higher OR (1.7, p>0.05). Patients with previous scaling experience complained of more dental pain during scaling than patients without experience. Music was not a significant predictor of denial pain during scaling, controlling for possible confounders. 4. While age. music. and scaling experience were not related to dental anxiety during scaling, sex and dental hygiene index were significant predictors of dental anxiety in multiple logistic regression. 5. Both during and after scaling. mean blood pressure of music patients were significantly lower than control patients after controlling for age, sex, and BMI. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that although listening to music did not disappear the dental pain and anxiety. but reduced the intensity of pain and anxiety during scaling. Furthermore, our data imply thai music has a effect of reduction of increasing blood pressure by scaling.