Effect of Music on Pain, Anxiety, and Behavior in Anxious Children During Molar Restorations

Managing the child's behavior and anxiety is critical for the treatment in pediatric dentistry to be successful. Behavior management techniques aim to reduce the need for excessive and potentially unsafe medication use. Audio distraction is a non-intrusive distraction technique in which patients listen to music or a story during a stressful procedure. The success of the vocal distraction technique has been validated in medical settings, but insufficient literature exists to measure the potency of this technique for the pediatric population. The aim of this study is to reveal the effects of listening to music during dental treatment on the anxiety of 45 patients aged 7-10 years with dentist anxiety who applied to Mersin University Faculty of Dentistry Pediatric Dentistry clinic in 2024. The compliance of children who apply for routine examination and treatment by the researcher will be evaluated according to the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS), and if they score between 32-38, they will be invited to the study. Patients who agree to participate in the study will be divided into 3 groups.In the control group consisting of 15 pediatric patients, routine treatment will be performed without any distraction. In the 2nd group (intervention group consisting of 15 people), the patient will receive routine treatment accompanied by music by opening Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K.448 on the computer in the clinic. In the 3rd group (intervention group consisting of 15 participants), patients will be asked what music they want to listen to and will be played music accordingly. Later, in order to evaluate the effect of the music listened to during dental treatment on anxiety, measurements will be taken at the routine appointment to show the anxiety state before, after and during the treatment. These measurements were determined as a result of literature review as the Children's Fear Research Program Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS), blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, oxygen saturation and salivary cortisol levels. Cortisol levels will be measured using the Cortisol Salivary Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Test Kit.

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Key information

Conditions

Healhty

Age range

7 year–10 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Mersin Universty

Mersin, yenişehir, 01120, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Patients who applied to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Mersin University, between 01.08.2024 and 01.08.2025
Patients with moderate anxiety, scoring 32-38 points on the dental subscale of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS)
Voluntary participation of both the child and the parent in the study
Patients with no previous dental experience
Absence of any urgent dental condition requiring immediate intervention (e.g., pain, abscess, fistula)
Systemically healthy patients
No previous dental treatment experience
Signed informed consent form by the parent/guardian
Children aged between 7 and 10 years
Patients with dentinal caries in the mandibular permanent first molar
Patients whose treatment duration is expected to be approximately 30-45 minutes

Exclusion criteria

Child and/or parent unwilling to participate in the study
Failure to sign the informed consent form/written consent form
Presence of any systemic disease
Patients with low or high anxiety levels, scoring below 32 or above 38 on the dental subscale of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS)
Patients with previous dental experience
Children younger than 7 years or older than 10 years
Caries in the mandibular permanent first molar requiring pulp therapy
Presence of abscess or inflammation originating from the mandibular permanent first molar
Absence of caries in the mandibular permanent first molar
Teeth in which a dental dam cannot be applied

Treatment and study plan

Mozart music group

Behavioral

The experimental group was played Mozart - Sonata for Two Pianos in D, K. 448 on the clinic computer.

preferred music group

Behavioral

The experimental group was made to listen to their preferred music in the clinic.

Primary outcomes

pre-treatment and post-treatment cortisol level

Time frame: Values were measured on the day of treatment.

The patient's pre-treatment and post-treatment cortisol levels were measured and compared.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Mersin University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluation of the Effect of Music Listening on Pain, Anxiety, and Behavior in Children With Dental Anxiety During the Restoration of Permanent First Molars

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Aug 27, 2025
Registry last updated: Aug 27, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed