Hypnosis—a useful complementary tool for oral health professionals?

The lead author of a recent review on hypnosis in dentistry, Angélique Thibault believes that, with proper training, dentists and their teams can feasibly integrate elements of hypnosis into routine patient care. (Image: Angélique Thibault)

“Given that dental treatments often provoke anxiety and acute pain, my team and I aimed to better understand the role of hypnosis in dentistry,” explained lead author Angélique Thibault, research assistant and undergraduate student in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Montreal, to Dental Tribune International. She added: “Any adjuvant that can benefit patients and enhance their comfort during dental procedures is worth exploring.”

The review synthesised findings from 12 systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses published between 2000 and December 2024. Eight focused on the management of dental anxiety and/or acute procedural pain, and the rest examined chronic conditions such as temporomandibular disorder and burning mouth syndrome.

The strongest evidence for hypnosis as a clinical adjunct was found for procedures involving local anaesthesia and dental extractions. Several studies reported reduced need for pharmacological sedation, lower postoperative pain and even decreased use of analgesics when hypnosis was employed. In some cases, recovery times were shorter, and less anaesthetic reinforcement was needed during treatment.

Discussing specific hypnosis techniques that appear the most effective in helping to manage dental anxiety, Thibault noted that therapeutic hypnosis delivered through hypnotic suggestions by a trained hypnotherapist appears to be more effective than audio-recorded hypnosis. However, she acknowledged that, in private practice, involving an additional specialist may not always be feasible. “That’s why therapist–operator hypnosis—administered directly by the dentist—should be encouraged, provided he or she has received adequate training,” she noted.

The findings also highlighted the potential of hypnosis to reduce physiological stress markers such as heart rate and blood pressure, alongside patient-reported anxiety. Although the evidence for children and adolescents was more limited, several studies pointed to positive outcomes when hypnosis was compared with other anxiety-reducing techniques, such as distraction or enhanced preoperative communication.

In terms of chronic orofacial pain, the evidence is not as robust. Though studies suggest potential benefits—such as increased mouth opening and reduced pain levels in patients with temporomandibular disorders—most were of low methodological quality. Still, Thibault believes that the implications are promising: “With chronic pain, the goal is to improve the patient’s life since the pain is rarely eliminated completely.”