Objectives: the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of audio or audiovisual distraction with and without noise cancellation on the anxiety levels of patients undergoing routine dental procedures.
Material and Methods: A minimum random sample of 120 patients was selected on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria primarily pertaining to age (17–70 years), health (American Society of Anesthesiologists performance status I or II), and type of dental treatment (basic restorative procedures for class I, II, III, IV, and/or V lesions). The participants were divided into four main groups depending on the type of anxiety control method used during the dental procedure: control, audio distraction, audiovisual distraction, and noise cancellation. Different subgroups were created within each group on the basis of different method combinations. Anxiety levels were assessed by measuring the blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation levels before and after treatment. In addition, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) were also used to determine the effects of the anxiety control methods.
Results: Both audio distraction and audiovisual distraction significantly improved the STAI and DAS scores, regardless of the use of noise cancellation. Anxiety levels were significantly higher in the noise cancellation and control groups than in the audio distraction and audiovisual distraction groups.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that audio and audiovisual distraction methods are effective in minimizing fear and anxiety during routine dental procedures in adult patients.