Beat the drill: music therapy eases dental jitters in teens

This study tested whether listening to relaxing music with embedded alpha binaural beats can lower anxiety and stress in 66 adolescents (ages 12-18) during orthodontic bracket placement. Participants were randomly assigned to hear the special music, relaxing music alone, or no audio through headphones. Researchers measured anxiety through questionnaires, vital signs, and saliva stress markers like cortisol. The goal was to see if this simple, drug-free intervention makes dental procedures less stressful.