A comparative evaluation of the effects of white noise, brown noise, and pink noise on dental anxiety of pediatric patients undergoing dental extraction treatment: A randomized control study.

Abstract

Background: Audio-analgesia is one of the unexplored aspects of behavior management in pediatric dentistry, and recently, there have been many new inclusions in shades of noise that were previously just limited to white noise, like brown noise and pink noise.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of white noise, brown noise, and pink noise on dental anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing primary tooth extraction.

Study settings and design: Multiarm, triple-blinded, parallel-group randomized controlled trial.

Materials and method: Forty children belonging to the age group of 8-12 years having their first dental visit with primary teeth indicated for extraction were included in our study. We evenly divided the 40 children into four groups: Group A (white noise), Group B (pink noise), Group C (brown noise), and Group D (cartoon music), which served as the control. We assessed the patient's anxiety using Venham's Picture Test and a pulse oximeter, as well as their pain using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) both preoperatively and postoperatively. We also noted changes in the patient's pulse after administering local anesthesia.

Results: All groups have shown significant differences in dental anxiety and pain, preoperatively and postoperatively, but pink noise was found to be effective even in maintaining pulse rate intraoperatively.

Conclusion: In pediatric dentistry, audio distraction is an innovative, noninvasive, and effective behavior management technique that can effectively manage dental anxiety in children.

Registration: The Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI) has prospectively registered the study under the CTRI number CTRI/2024/01/061679.