International Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis - E-Lib FK UWKS

286 INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS
environment during the oral stage. This trust is based on the mother's ability to
meet the infant's biological needs; that is, to nourish the baby as it desires.
The contemporary dentist appreciates that expertise in this health care ®eld
extends beyond the surgical and medical management of the hard and soft tissues
of the oral cavity. The psychological wellness of the patient is an integral part of
effective comprehensive care. Beyond the physical well-being of the patient's oral
cavity, a relevant factor in successful treatment, the psychological wellness of the
patient with relation to the oral cavity is a precondition to the wellness of the
patient as a whole Eli, 1992).
VISITING THE DENTIST IS ENTRANCING
Hypnosis plays a vital role in every dental practitioner's interaction with patients.
The frightened patient walking into the dental treatment room is most certainly in a
trance state. The dentist with training in clinical hypnosis can transform that intense
sense of powerlessness and fright to a state of inner calm and comfort. Probably the
greatest bene®t of clinical hypnosis to the dentist is the ability to recognize the
patient's state of consciousness and apply verbal and non-verbal hypnotic strategies
to enhance patient comfort.
The dental practitioner has an assortment of tools available to help the patient
distract and dissociate from the frightening feeling of being a vulnerable subject in
the dental chair. Projecting an educational or entertaining video program on a
personalized 3-D monitor is extremely effective for the patient who is visual but
reluctant to engage in auto-visual imaging. A headset with an audiotape player is
effective for the patient who is auditory and ready to close the eyes. The patient
who wants to create a chemical mystical experience can be offered nitrous oxide/
oxygen conscious sedation. But the effectiveness of each of these adjunctive
techniques is dependent on the hypnotic suggestions offered by the dentist operator
and members of the dental team. What is said affects what is felt.
Regardless of which other tools are utilized, the crucial constant is the doctor's
verbiage and attitude. Offering the patient hypnotically positive ideas and suggestions
makes the difference between the ®ght-¯ight-bite response and the cool, calm
and relaxed experience. Positive hypnotic ideas and suggestions help the patient
create hemostasis immediately following dental extractions, promote the rate of
healing and reduce postoperative discomfort. Clinical hypnotic strategies are also
very useful in modifying harmful oral habits such as bruxism, ®nger sucking and
nail biting. In addition, hypnosis is extremely useful in the management of the
`dif®cult' patient who suffers from a hyperactive gag re¯ex or simply fails to make
necessary dental appointments.
There are three levels in the utilization of clinical hypnosis. First, as a means for
achieving a higher level of self-awareness, which may lead to a higher degree of
pro®ciency and satisfaction from the practice of dentistry. Learning, experiencing