Dental AnxietyMUS-DENTNCT07827118
Effect of Music on Dental Anxiety and Physiological Responses During Dental Drill and Suction Sounds
A study testing Music intervention in people with Dental Anxiety and Music Intervention, run by Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Pakistan at 1 site in Pakistan.
Trial summary
Dental anxiety is common and may be triggered or increased by sounds associated with dental treatment, particularly the sound of a dental drill and suction device. Anxiety during dental care may be associated with changes in physiological responses such as heart rate and blood pressure. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Dental Anxiety, Music Intervention
- What is being tested?
- Music intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 74 participants
- Where
- 1 sitePakistan
- Study dates
- 3 Mar 2026to 29 Aug 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults aged 18 years or older.
- Participants able to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent.
- Participants able to hear and understand the standardized dental drill and suction sounds presented during the study.
- Participants willing to undergo exposure to standardized dental drill and suction sounds and complete the dental anxiety assessment.
Who cannot join
- Current use of medications that may substantially affect heart rate, blood pressure, or anxiety responses.
- Known cardiovascular disease or other medical conditions that may significantly affect physiological responses to the study procedure.
- Hearing impairment that may interfere with perception of the standardized dental sounds.
- Current use of medication or treatment for an anxiety disorder that may substantially influence the assessment of dental anxiety.
- Previous adverse reaction or intolerance to music or headphone use.
- Any condition that, in the investigator's judgment, may make participation unsafe or interfere with completion of the study procedures.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Effect of Music on Dental Anxiety and Physiological Responses During Exposure to Dental Drill and Suction Sounds: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Dental anxiety is common and may be triggered or increased by sounds associated with dental treatment, particularly the sound of a dental drill and suction device. Anxiety during dental care may be associated with changes in physiological responses such as heart rate and blood pressure.
This randomized controlled clinical trial will investigate whether listening to music can reduce dental anxiety and physiological responses when participants are exposed to dental drill and suction sounds. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a music group or a control group. Participants in the music group will listen to selected music during exposure to the dental sounds, while participants in the control group will undergo the same sound exposure without music.
Read more
Dental anxiety will be assessed using a validated anxiety assessment tool, and physiological responses will be measured before, during, and/or after exposure to the dental sounds. The study will compare changes in anxiety and physiological measures between the music and control groups.
The findings may help determine whether music is a simple, non-invasive approach for reducing anxiety and physiological responses associated with dental sounds and may contribute to improved comfort during dental care.
Read the detailed description
Dental anxiety is a common barrier to dental care and can be triggered by sensory stimuli associated with dental treatment. Among these stimuli, the sounds of dental drills and suction devices may be particularly distressing and may contribute to psychological and physiological responses associated with anxiety. Identifying simple, non-invasive approaches to reduce these responses may improve patient comfort and the dental treatment experience.
Music has been investigated as a non-pharmacological method for reducing anxiety in healthcare and dental settings. However, the specific effect of music during controlled exposure to dental drill and suction sounds, particularly in relation to both subjective dental anxiety and physiological responses, requires further evaluation.
This randomized controlled clinical trial will evaluate the effect of music on dental anxiety and physiological responses during exposure to dental drill and suction sounds. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated to either a music intervention group or a control group.
Participants in the intervention group will listen to music during exposure to the dental drill and suction sounds. Participants in the control group will be exposed to the same dental sounds without the music intervention. The exposure conditions and assessment procedures will otherwise be standardized between groups.
Dental anxiety will be assessed using a validated assessment instrument. Physiological responses will be assessed using predefined physiological measures, which may include heart rate, heart-rate variability, blood pressure, and/or other prespecified measures according to the study protocol. Measurements will be obtained at predefined time points in relation to the sound exposure.
The study will compare dental anxiety and physiological responses between the music and control groups to determine whether music is associated with reduced psychological and physiological responses to dental-related sounds.
The study is designed to provide evidence regarding the potential use of music as a simple, non-invasive intervention for managing anxiety associated with dental sounds.
- Conditions
- Dental Anxiety, Music Intervention
- Being tested
- Music intervention
- Keywords
- Dental Anxiety, Music, Dental Drill Sound, Dental Suction Sound, Physiological Responses
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Music interventionBehavioural
Participants assigned to the intervention arm will listen to standardized music through headphones during exposure to standardized dental drill and suction sounds. The music will be delivered at a predefined comfortable volume throughout the specified sound-exposure period. The intervention is intended to reduce dental anxiety and associated physiological responses during exposure to dental-related sounds.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Music intervention | Experimental | Participants are exposed to standardized dental drill and suction sounds while listening to music. Receives: Behavioral: Music intervention |
| No music control | No intervention | Participants randomized to the control arm will be exposed to the same standardized dental drill and suction sounds for the same specified duration without concurrent music. Dental anxiety and physiological responses will be assessed at the same prespecified time points as in the intervention arm. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Dental Anxiety Score
Dental anxiety will be assessed using the prespecified validated dental anxiety assessment scale. The primary outcome will be the change in anxiety score from baseline to immediately after exposure to standardized dental drill and suction sounds, comparing the music intervention group with the no-music control group. Higher scores indicate greater dental anxiety.
Measured: From baseline to immediately after completion of sound exposure
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in Heart Rate During Dental Sound Exposure
Heart rate will be measured at prespecified time points before, during, and/or immediately after exposure to standardized dental drill and suction sounds. The change in heart rate from baseline will be compared between the music intervention and no-music control groups.
Measured: From baseline to immediately after completion of sound exposure
Change in Blood Pressure During Dental Sound Exposure
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure will be measured at prespecified time points before and after exposure to standardized dental drill and suction sounds. Changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure from baseline will be compared between the music intervention and no-music control groups.
Measured: From baseline to immediately after completion of sound exposure
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Sep 2026
- Study start3 Mar 2026
- Primary completion3 Aug 2026
- Study completion29 Aug 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Dental AnxietyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 74 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Pakistan
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- 21 military dental center, Quetta
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ahmed Abdullah, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Pakistan
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07827118
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MUSIC-DENT-2026
- Acronym
- MUS-DENT
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of Music on Dental Anxiety and Physiological Responses During Exposure to Dental Drill and Suction Sounds: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07827118
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MUS-DENT / MUSIC-DENT-2026
- Conditions
- Dental Anxiety, Music Intervention
- Keywords
- Dental Anxiety, Music, Dental Drill Sound, Dental Suction Sound, Physiological Responses
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 74 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, PakistanUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- 21 military dental center, Quetta
- Study start
- 3 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 3 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 29 Aug 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Dental anxiety is common and may be triggered or increased by sounds associated with dental treatment, particularly the sound of a dental drill and suction device. Anxiety during dental care may be associated with changes in physiological responses such as heart rate and blood pressure.
This randomized controlled clinical trial will investigate whether listening to music can reduce dental anxiety and physiological responses when participants are exposed to dental drill and suction sounds. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a music group or a control group. Participants in the music group will listen to selected music during exposure to the dental sounds, while participants in the control group will undergo the same sound exposure without music.
Dental anxiety will be assessed using a validated anxiety assessment tool, and physiological responses will be measured before, during, and/or after exposure to the dental sounds. The study will compare changes in anxiety and physiological measures between the music and control groups.
The findings may help determine whether music is a simple, non-invasive approach for reducing anxiety and physiological responses associated with dental sounds and may contribute to improved comfort during dental care.
Detailed description
Dental anxiety is a common barrier to dental care and can be triggered by sensory stimuli associated with dental treatment. Among these stimuli, the sounds of dental drills and suction devices may be particularly distressing and may contribute to psychological and physiological responses associated with anxiety. Identifying simple, non-invasive approaches to reduce these responses may improve patient comfort and the dental treatment experience.
Music has been investigated as a non-pharmacological method for reducing anxiety in healthcare and dental settings. However, the specific effect of music during controlled exposure to dental drill and suction sounds, particularly in relation to both subjective dental anxiety and physiological responses, requires further evaluation.
This randomized controlled clinical trial will evaluate the effect of music on dental anxiety and physiological responses during exposure to dental drill and suction sounds. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated to either a music intervention group or a control group.
Participants in the intervention group will listen to music during exposure to the dental drill and suction sounds. Participants in the control group will be exposed to the same dental sounds without the music intervention. The exposure conditions and assessment procedures will otherwise be standardized between groups.
Dental anxiety will be assessed using a validated assessment instrument. Physiological responses will be assessed using predefined physiological measures, which may include heart rate, heart-rate variability, blood pressure, and/or other prespecified measures according to the study protocol. Measurements will be obtained at predefined time points in relation to the sound exposure.
The study will compare dental anxiety and physiological responses between the music and control groups to determine whether music is associated with reduced psychological and physiological responses to dental-related sounds.
The study is designed to provide evidence regarding the potential use of music as a simple, non-invasive intervention for managing anxiety associated with dental sounds.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Music intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Music interventionParticipants are exposed to standardized dental drill and suction sounds while listening to music. |
| No music control | No intervention | –Participants randomized to the control arm will be exposed to the same standardized dental drill and suction sounds for the same specified duration without concurrent music. Dental anxiety and physiological responses will be assessed at the same prespecified time points as in the intervention arm. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Adults aged 18 years or older.
- Participants able to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent.
- Participants able to hear and understand the standardized dental drill and suction sounds presented during the study.
- Participants willing to undergo exposure to standardized dental drill and suction sounds and complete the dental anxiety assessment.
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Current use of medications that may substantially affect heart rate, blood pressure, or anxiety responses.
- Known cardiovascular disease or other medical conditions that may significantly affect physiological responses to the study procedure.
- Hearing impairment that may interfere with perception of the standardized dental sounds.
- Current use of medication or treatment for an anxiety disorder that may substantially influence the assessment of dental anxiety.
- Previous adverse reaction or intolerance to music or headphone use.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Music interventionParticipants assigned to the intervention arm will listen to standardized music through headphones during exposure to standardized dental drill and suction sounds. The music will be delivered at a predefined comfortable volume throughout the specified sound-exposure period. The intervention is intended to reduce dental anxiety and associated physiological responses during exposure to dental-related sounds. | Behavioural | Music intervention |
Primary outcome
Change in Dental Anxiety Score
Time frame: From baseline to immediately after completion of sound exposure
Dental anxiety will be assessed using the prespecified validated dental anxiety assessment scale. The primary outcome will be the change in anxiety score from baseline to immediately after exposure to standardized dental drill and suction sounds, comparing the music intervention group with the no-music control group. Higher scores indicate greater dental anxiety.
2 secondary outcomes
Change in Heart Rate During Dental Sound Exposure
Time frame: From baseline to immediately after completion of sound exposure
Change in Blood Pressure During Dental Sound Exposure
Time frame: From baseline to immediately after completion of sound exposure
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Music intervention in people with Dental Anxiety and Music Intervention, run by Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Pakistan at 1 site in Pakistan.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Pakistan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Dental Anxiety Score (time frame: From baseline to immediately after completion of sound exposure). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Oct 2026.