Music Is Medicine: How Music Supports Mental and Physical Health

Do dentists dance? (We hope you know the answer is yes!) Like most people, dentists appreciate music’s power to move people emotionally as well as physically. But there may be something more inspired at work about the tunes pumping out of your dentist’s office, and many healthcare professionals have seen it for themselves: Music is medicine.

According to studies exploring rhythm’s effect on mental and physical wellbeing, music may have profound benefits for whole-body health. Music therapy is showing promise in lowering blood pressure and may complement the positive effects of exercise for people with heart issues. Research has also found music may help reduce symptoms of depression.

When it comes to oral health, keeping the beat can help keep your smile on track. While you brush, play a song that is roughly two minutes long. It’s an easy way to boost your mood while ensuring you brush long enough to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Singing along (after you’ve rinsed and spit, of course), might be good for you, too. Singing has been found to increase cytokines in saliva, proteins that regulate inflammation – including the type associated with periodontal disease.

Anxious about a dental procedure? Consider slipping on a set of headphones and letting the music transport your mind elsewhere. Music-based interventions have been found to reduce dental anxiety in patients undergoing restorative dental procedures.

Researchers have described the profound effect beloved music, binaural beats and other sound therapies have on patients’ perception of pain and overall dental experience.

Music, rhythm and familiar beats can be especially helpful for neurodivergent people and people with special needs who otherwise don’t respond well to the physical sensation of toothbrushing or flossing.

Music not only calms the mind, it may protect the brain. Several clinical trials suggest music may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, which affects more than 7.2 million Americans aged 65 and over.

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers witnessed structural changes in the brains of people who engaged in music training and active music participation – findings that suggest music’s potential to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Even for people with advanced dementia, music can stir memories in powerful ways. The documentary Alive Inside (2014) famously features withdrawn nursing home residents who suddenly light up when hearing a beloved song from their youth.

Music doesn’t even have to be music to have a healing effect. Frequency music, or vibrations that are isolated at specific speeds, may play a role in everything from pain management to improved memory.

In a small study that exposed people with Alzheimer’s disease to 40-hz audiovisual stimulation, researchers believe they found evidence that people’s brains atrophied, or shrank, less and their memory and sleep improved.

The ever-steady drumbeat of research into music and sound is opening up exciting new possibilities for the Mouth-Body Connection. While music will never replace brushing, flossing or regular dental visits, it does seem to play a supportive role in helping you feel more confident, more relaxed and more engaged in your health.

So, the next time you visit your dentist, be sure to bring along your favorite playlist. They just may serve as the soundtrack to a healthier you.

Emerging neuroscience research is exploring how music and sound-based stimulation can support brain health, cognitive function, and overall well-being. The Aoki Foundation, founded by global artist Steve Aoki, supports innovative research focused on brain longevity and regenerative science.

Their mission highlights the growing understanding that long-term wellness is deeply interconnected, linking oral health, inflammation, and cognitive vitality.