MUSICAL THERAPEUTICS

¹ Jacksonville, Fla.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of music in reducing and alleviating the anticipation syndrome. It was found that approximately 52 per cent of the patients interviewed admitted apprehension, with 49 per cent classified mildly and 17 per cent extremely apprehensive. Even the passive types admitted a slight uneasiness, demonstrating a higher percentage of patients who were afflicted with the anticipation syndrome, while 31 per cent had had an unpleasant experience with a dentist.

The preponderance of feeling (88 per cent) by the patients that they were helped, i.e., their apprehension alleviated by the diversion of music during oral procedures, is conclusive. This should point the way and stimulate greater effort to investigate the problem of facilitating the administration of painful or possibly painful and feared types of treatment, by means of utilizing specific psychological treatment concurrently with surgery and drugs.