Psychoacoustic evaluation of the combined noise from devices in dental clinics

Quietness is required in medical facilities, however, dental clinics are often filled with various sounds. Especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, the noise level in dental clinics seems to have increased. There are not only the sounds of equipment such as dental drills and ultrasonic drills for removing tartar but also sounds of air purifiers or extra-oral suction devices, music, and the sounds of the receptionist's phone, and the sound through doors and windows opened for ventilation. When various sounds are mixed, sometimes patients and staff cannot hear sounds during treatment. We have investigated the psychoacoustic effects of complex noise emitted from equipment in a dental office. We will report on the relationship between psychological evaluation and physical values such as noise level and the ratio of frequency components and try to find the factors for making a comfortable environment in dental clinics.