Comparing Different Music Genres in Decreasing Dental Anxiety in Young Adults Who Underwent Third Molar Surgery in Turkey: Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the music genre reducing anxiety best in patients whose third molars were extracted. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients were included in this prospective, observational, randomized controlled trial. They were divided into 4 groups: group 1, Turkish music; group 2, classical music of a Western culture; group 3, soft rock music; and group 4, no music (control group). The preoperative blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and oxygen saturation of each patient were measured, and the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) questionnaire was applied, with the values being measured and recorded at 5-minute intervals. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed, and the P value was set at.05. Results: Of the 80 patients, 44 were women and 36 were men. The average age was 24.1 ± 5.9 years. No significant differences between the groups were found in terms of age; gender; or preoperative HR, mean arterial pressure, oxygen saturation (as measured by pulse oximetry), and CDAS values (P >.05). Although no significant correlations was found between anxiety levels and age (P =.330), HR (P =.694), or mean arterial pressure (P =.775), it was detected that anxiety was high in women (P <.05). Anxiety levels decreased at all times in all groups, but the postoperative CDAS values of the classical music group were significantly lower than those of the other groups (P =.024). Conclusions: This study found that classical Western music that was started in the preoperative period and continued until the end of the operation significantly reduced the anxiety associated with third molar extraction in patients aged between 18 and 30 years. © 2019 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons