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

OBJECTIVES: 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. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.