Dental hypnosis

Using hypnosis techniques, anxious patients can be transferred into various trance states and thereby be treated gently and successfully.

Dental hypnosis is initiated almost imperceptibly during a casual conversation. 

It does not work without one’s consent and collaboration.

This state of consciousness can occur in different intensities. First, the pulse slows down and breathing becomes deeper and calmer. Then, a feeling of drowsiness sets in, arms and legs become heavy, the eyes close and the eyelids flicker. This light state of trance can merge with a deeper one, in which one’s inner world stands out while the outer world becomes less important until hardly any attention is paid to it anymore. When eventually reaching the deepest state of trance, sensitivity is reduced, relieving one from pain.

 

Is everyone hypnotizable?

The ability to hypnotize depends on how much a person is able to focus on a subject.

Whereas 10% of the people are easily hypnotizable, hypnosis is fairly feasible in 80% and challenging in the remaining 10%.

An absolute prerequisite for hypnosis is not only consent but also a trusting relationship between dentist and patient.

 

Is there any risk of not waking up from hypnosis?

No, this concern is completely unfounded because hypnosis is a natural condition between awaking and sleep.

 

During hypnosis, is one without willpower?

Hypnosis is only possible if one decides to follow the instructions of the practitioner. No one is without will during this state. The human psyche has a natural protective mechanism, the so-called critical factor. This can be imagined like a gatekeeper who decides whether the received information should reach the subconscious or not.

 

During hypnosis, can you hear the sounds of the treatment?

Hypnosis does not equal sleep, but a state of deep physical relaxation. In sleep our consciousness is not active, whereas in hypnosis it is. The consciousness is focused on a certain, pleasant situation. In hypnosis, the patient is consciously aware of what is happening all the time.  He hears everything the hypnotist says. He perceives his environment and can react to it at any time.

Many patients are afraid of the sound of dental treatment. These can be reinterpreted by the hypnotist.

Another possibility to fade out the unpleasant sounds is using music, with which the patient* can be led into a trance. 

 

Do you still perceive pain under hypnosis?

Some patients assume to be completely painless in the state of hypnotic trance. This is only partly true. The patient usually senses that the dentist is doing "something". However, this sensation is not perceived as pain, but rather as touch, dull pressure or temperature sensation. The pain is thus masked. In hypnosis, for example, it is possible to lead the patient into an experience in which he or she is physically stressed, so that the pain is transformed into this physical exertion.

 

How does a hypnosis treatment work?

In an individual preliminary conversation patient and treating dentist get to know each other, thereby answering questions and establishing a relationship of trust.

The actual treatment begins with the initiation of the trance. By leading the conversation the dentist diverts the thoughts of the patient away from his fears and the attention is directed from the outside to the inside. This state can be compared to "daydreaming". Once a certain depth of hypnosis is reached, treatment can begin.