Hypnosis in Dental Treatment

Drawing attention to the prejudices about hypnosis, which has an important place in dentistry, experts say, “There are fears that if I sleep in patients, all my secrets will be revealed, I will pass out, I will say everything and lose control, but none of these are realistic.”

Not a Panacea!

Hypnosis is especially effective in patients who experience fear of the dentist. Dentists can use hypnosis in dental treatment after receiving a certain training. Hypnosis is just a method, not a panacea or medicine as some claim. With hypnosis, the person’s fear-related problems are eliminated, they can be calmed and treated easily.

Hypnosis Is Effective in Fear

The hypnosis method used in dentistry can be defined as ‘increasing the ability to suggest’. In hypnosis, suggestions are made to relieve the person’s fears. Fear of the dentist is a very common condition, some patients know the reason for this fear, some do not. Whether the cause is known or not, hypnosis is very effective in fear situations. The unconscious is open under hypnosis, and the patient’s fears are erased with the suggestions given. Instead of thoughts such as tooth extraction, the patient is made to think about more pleasant and beautiful things, and the treatment is carried out in that comfort.

Fear of ‘All My Secrets Will Be Revealed’

In dentistry, which started in the 1800s and became widespread after the Second World War, hypnosis can be applied to every patient from 7 to 70 who are open to communication. Misinformation and prejudices are common about hypnosis, where the debate on whether hypnosis is objectionable or not in dental treatment is frequent. People may think that hypnosis is related to spirits, occult powers, or they may experience fears that consciousness will be lost when hypnosis is performed. Since the person under hypnosis looks like a sleeping person, it can be called sleep, whereas under hypnosis, a person hears everything, and may respond to what he wants and not respond to what he does not want.

You can’t make the patient do something they don’t want

Even in deep hypnosis, you cannot make the person behave in a way that is contrary to their moral or personality traits, which is not possible. There are discussions about the inconvenience of hypnosis, people often face questions or concerns such as “I can’t wake up when I sleep, all my secrets are revealed, I lose myself and say everything, I don’t know what’s going to happen and I lose control”, but none of these are real.

Mecidiyekoy Hospitadent

Chief Physician Dt. Yigit Emrah KURT