Dental fear and anxiety
With dental fear and anxiety, the result of avoiding dental treatment is reward - because every time you escape, you avoid the uncomfortable feelings and sensations and so feel better. Your brain has created a maladaptive strategy which helps you to preserve yourself and feel safe. It is recycling the problem because every time you avoid it, every time you escape from the uncomfortable feelings, it makes you more certain that you need to avoid it and escape from it.

If you are able to go to the dentist but suffer from anxiety and catastrophising thoughts and bad experience memory recall but can manage to ‘grit your teeth (not really applicable!) and just ‘get through it’- then you are not facing it, and this is called experiential avoidance.
In this situation, you are not really facing the fears and so never managing to overcome the thoughts of horror and disaster in your head or the anticipation of pain. By being gradually exposed to the imagined stimulus of the dental fear, a sort of mindful exposure where you experience the evocative imagery but from a very relaxed and safe state of mind, (hypnosis) you are able to dismantle the old automatic fear processes of your brain to desensitise your anxiety response in that situation.
You will learn how to avoid anticipating the unexpected or pain, by managing your negative thought pattern. You will be able to make and keep those dental appointments comfortably and without anxiety, knowing and believing that you are in control - free from catastrophising thoughts and negative beliefs. You will learn how to confidently have full control within the dental setting by negotiating with the dentist when you need a break or when you feel that the anaesthetic has not worked.
You will have the confidence to be able to use the mindful and self-hypnosis skills that I shall teach you to be able to master your apprehension, your pre-appointment nerves, your dread of the unknown, or the feelings of loss of control or embarrassment
How hypnosis is effective in dental care
The evidenced approach to hypnosis means understanding it as an active, skilful process that involves adopting a specific mindset—offers several benefits for dental care, not a trance state that another 'puts you in':
Demystification and accessibility
Explaining hypnosis as a series of focused attitudes and behaviours rather than a mysterious trance as all scientific evidence shows, makes it more understandable and acceptable to dental patients. You are not losing control. This approach aligns hypnosis with familiar techniques like relaxation exercises or cognitive-behavioural strategies, making it easier to integrate into dental practice.
Patient empowerment
This method encourages patients to actively participate in their own care by using their beliefs, expectations, and motivations to enhance their comfort and responsiveness during dental procedures. Empowered patients often feel more in control, reducing anxiety and improving their overall experience.
Integration with dental treatments
Seeing hypnosis as a mindset allows it to complement other dental practices, such as pain management, sedation techniques, and relaxation methods. It enhances a patient's ability to remain calm, focused, and engaged, leading to more comfortable and efficient dental visits.
Evidence-based approach
This perspective fits with evidence-based dental practices by focusing on psychological processes that are backed by research rather than relying on mystical states. This scientific grounding makes hypnosis a more credible option for managing dental anxiety and pain.
Effective for managing dental anxiety and pain
Hypnosis is particularly useful in helping patients achieve a calm, focused state of mind, which can significantly reduce anxiety and discomfort during dental procedures. This makes it a valuable tool for routine care and more complex treatments, enhancing patient comfort.
Encourages self-hypnosis for ongoing care
Teaching patients self-hypnosis techniques can help them manage dental anxiety and discomfort outside the clinic, promoting relaxation and reducing stress before future visits. This ongoing practice can improve their overall dental health experience.
Enhances communication and trust
By framing hypnosis as a skill that involves attitudes and engagement, we foster better communication between dental professionals and patients. This approach encourages patients to express their concerns and expectations, leading to a more personalised, patient-centred dental experience.
Today, hypnosis is viewed not as a trance or altered state of consciousness but as the art and science of suggestion. This aligns with the non-state, cognitive-behavioural approach to hypnosis, developed further by Robert White in his 1941 paper, "A Preface to the Theory of Hypnotism." White argued that hypnosis results from an individual's conscious attitudes and voluntary efforts, redefining it as a purposeful, goal-oriented process.
White suggested that hypnosis is an active process—something individuals do, not a passive state they enter. Essentially, all hypnosis is a form of self-hypnosis, involving self-directed actions. This idea is supported by non-state theorists, who view hypnosis through a rational, common-sense lens, aligning with Braid's original approach.
Current research describes hypnosis as a "hypnotic mindset" involving ordinary mental processes like beliefs, imagination, expectations, and motivation. Hypnosis is about adopting attitudes and behaviours that facilitate a hypnotic response, rather than entering an altered state of consciousness.
To experience hypnosis, whether with a therapist or through self-hypnosis, one needs to cultivate a "hypnotic mindset." This involves being motivated, confident in responding to suggestions, and optimistic about the process. With this mindset, individuals become more receptive to the benefits of hypnosis and more responsive to therapeutic suggestions.
Although this approach to hypnosis is more practical and less "magical" than popular portrayals, it has significant benefits. It makes hypnosis more accessible, empowering individuals to use evidence-based techniques and adopt a therapeutic mindset effectively.
