Hypnosis in Daily Dental Practice

Majority of dental patients reveal a great anxiety and fear during routine stomatological procedures. Even a medi− cal treatment of the oral region under local anaesthesia is causing intense anxiety. Such attitude of some patients to stomatological procedures is a cause of their irregular visits in dental clinics, which, in consequence, may lead to increase more severe forms of dental diseases. Clinical hypnosis could be a non−invasive therapeutic option to increase treatment comfort both for the patients and dentists. This article gives an overview about some basic facts and the main indications for hypnosis in dentistry. The indications for using hypnosis in dentistry are: the manage− ment of fear and anxiety, hypnosis for dental analgesia, control of bleeding, control of salivation, control of bru− xism, control of gag reflex, pediatric dental hypnosis. Methods used in dental hypnosis are also described. This kind of psychotherapy may be used in everyday dental practice, however some profound knowledge in this field is needed from a clinician (Dent. Med. Probl. 2008, 45, 3, 301–306).