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Headphones vs. the drill: music put to the test against dental anxiety

NCT ID NCT07827118

Symptom relief Sponsor: Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Pakistan Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

Dental anxiety often spikes at the sound of a drill or suction device. This randomized trial at the Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry in Pakistan tests whether listening to music through headphones can reduce anxiety and calm heart-rate changes while adults hear those sounds. Researchers randomly assign participants to a music group or a no-music control group, then compare anxiety scores and heart rate before, during, and after the sound exposure. The goal is to see whether music offers a simple, non-invasive way to make dental care more comfortable.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
listening to music through headphones during exposure to dental drill and suction sounds
What this could lead to
If music helps, dental offices could offer a free, drug-free way to make drill and suction sounds less stressful for anxious patients.
What could go wrong
The trial is small, with 37 adults, and measures anxiety and heart rate during recorded sounds rather than a real dental visit. Music may not calm everyone, and results may not carry over to actual treatment.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

37 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2026

Finished

Aug 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Adults aged 18 years or older. 2. Participants able to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent. 3. Participants able to hear and understand the standardized dental drill and suction sounds presented during the study. 4. Participants willing to undergo exposure to standardized dental drill and suction sounds and complete the dental anxiety assessment. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Current use of medications that may substantially affect heart rate, blood pressure, or anxiety responses. 2. Known cardiovascular disease or other medical conditions that may significantly affect physiological responses to the study procedure. 3. Hearing impairment that may interfere with perception of the standardized dental sounds. 4. Current use of medication or treatment for an anxiety disorder that may substantially influence the assessment of dental anxiety. 5. Previous adverse reaction or intolerance to music or headphone use. 6. Any condition that, in the investigator's judgment, may make participation unsafe or interfere with completion of the study procedures.

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Dental anxiety Music intervention

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry

    Quetta, 44000, Pakistan

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