Effect of music therapy on patients undergoing periodontal flap surgery

Introduction: It is very difficult to deliver periodontal treatment to extremely anxious patients. Therefore, there is a need to find measures to reduce the anxiety levels without causing any side-effects. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of music on the anxiety level of the patients who were undergoing periodontal flap surgery. Objective: The objective of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of music therapy on adult patients undergoing periodontal flap surgery. Methods: Ten patients admitted to the department of periodontics for periodontal surgery were recruited for this study. These patients were provided with a questionnaire including Corah Dental Anxiety Scale, prior to the periodontal surgical procedure. Vital signs (diastolic and systolic blood pressure and pulse) were also recorded before and after the procedure. Patients were asked to fill out a short questionnaire about their experience after the procedure. Results were collected and statistically analyzed. Results: Overall, the evidence points to good results for music and patient satisfaction. Indeed, the overall heart rate and blood pressure decreased over the duration of treatment. When patients were asked whether they felt relaxed as compared to the time they entered the clinic, 90% of the patients said “yes.” When patients were asked about the reduction of pain 70% of them said “yes.” When patients were asked about their experience on music therapy, most of them graded it as “Good.” Conclusion: Music can help people in being more at ease during dental care. It was found to be a non-pharmacological sedative and anxiolytic that was cost-effective, painless, and had no side-effects.