<![CDATA[Introduction: Dental anxiety significantly affects patient comfort, pain perception, and clinical outcomes during dental treatment. Anxiety activates the sympathetic nervous system, lowers pain tolerance, and may increase avoidance behavior, resulting in prolonged treatment time and reduced treatment success. Therefore, painless dentistry has evolved as a patient-centered approach that aims not only to minimize pain through pharmacological techniques but also to reduce anxiety using evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions. Qur'anic recitation, which is a recording of the holy verses of the Al-Qur'an read by a qari (Qur'an reader) with a slow, tartil, and harmonious tempo in accordance with the rules of tajwid, is believed to have calming psychological and physiological effects. Aim: This systematic review examines the effectiveness of Qur’anic recitation in reducing dental anxiety as one of the supporting interventions in painless dentistry. Methods: A systematic search (2011–2025) was conducted using the keywords “Qur’an recitation”, “dental anxiety”, “painless dentistry”, and “spiritual intervention”. Fifty of the 161 studies that were found satisfied the inclusion requirements and were examined for patient satisfaction, physiological effects, and anxiety reduction. Results: Most studies showed significant anxiety reduction following Qur’anic recitation, often accompanied by decreased heart rate and blood pressure. The intervention performed comparably or better than music and other relaxation therapies. Patient satisfaction improved due to its spiritual and cultural relevance. Limitations included small sample sizes and heterogeneous methodologies. Conclusion: Qur’anic recitation is a promising, non-pharmacological adjunct for anxiety management in painless dentistry. Further large-scale randomized trials with standardized protocols are required to validate its effectiveness and clinical integration. Keywords: Anxiety, dentistry, painless dentistry, Quranic recitation, spiritual therapy.]]>
