Effect of music listening on anxiety, stress, and pain during frenectomy: a randomized controlled trial

To investigate whether listening to standardized instrumental music during diode-laser maxillary frenectomy reduces dental anxiety, physiological stress responses, and early postoperative pain compared with no auditory intervention.

In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 40 systemically healthy adults requiring maxillary frenectomy were assigned to either a Music Group (n=20), who listened to standardized instrumental music during surgery, or a Control Group (n=20), treated without auditory stimulation. Dental anxiety was assessed using the CORAH-Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (CORAH-MDAS) preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at 1 and 2 weeks. Perceived stress was evaluated using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) at baseline and 1 month. Postoperative pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7.Heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation were measured perioperatively.

The Music Group demonstrated significantly lower postoperative CORAH-MDAS and 1-month PSS-10 scores than the Control Group. Music exposure was also associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reduced pulse rate, and lower postoperative pain scores, particularly on days 1 and 3. Most participants reported positive experiences and preferred music for future procedures.

Listening to standardized instrumental music during diode-laser frenectomy was associated with lower postoperative dental anxiety, perceived stress, and early postoperative pain, together with favorable changes in selected physiological parameters. Music listening may therefore represent a simple and feasible non-pharmacological adjunct for improving patient comfort during minor periodontal surgical procedures.