The effect of music therapy at surgical extraction of mandibular impacted 3rd molars

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This research was intended to evaluate the sedative effect of the music by measuring the anxiety-level, the pain-level, the blood pressure, and the pulse rate in patients who were going through extraction of the mandibular impacted 3rd molar. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were selected among those who visited St. Vincent's Hospital in Suwon for the surgical extraction of 3rd molar from April to May, 2007 and were divided into two groups the first, experimental group consisting of 32 people was going through extraction with the music and the second, control group also consisting of 32 people was going through extraction without the music. The anxiety-level was measured by filling out Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety questionnaire. The pain-level was measured by VAS (Visual analog Scale). The blood-pressure and the pulse rate were recorded at waiting period, preparation and anesthesia period, 5 minutes after anesthesia, beginning of extraction and every five minutes after extraction to the end of surgery. RESULTS: The anxiety-level was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group during the extraction procedure (p<0.01). The pain-level was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (p<0.05). The mean systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group at the beginnig of extraction and 10 minutes after extraction (p<0.01, p<0.05 each). The mean diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the experimental group than the control group at 10 minutes after extraction (p<0.01). The mean of pulse rate was significantly lower at the beginning of extraction (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The music therapy could offer not only the psychological stability but also the physiological stability during the surgical extraction of impacted 3rd molar.