[img]560|left|Nicholas D. Pollak||no_popup[/img]Did you know one of the highest suicide rates of the helping professions is among dentists?
Dentists know they are going to be hurting people. They are not trying to hurt, and goodness knows they fill a mouth with as much local anesthetic as they can. But patients hurt every day.
We must have our teeth attended to. Some of us are terrified of seeing a dentist. Most fear the pain involved, the needles, even the sound of the drill. As the drill’s sound vibrates through the bones in your skull, as well as the “burning smell” from the tooth being drilled, saliva and blood build in your mouth.
Relaxation Is Crucial
A patient afraid of the dentist will already be tense when sitting in the dentist’s chair. An uptight person will be hypersensitive to anything done to him or her.
Hypnosis is a wonderful tool to assist those who fear dental work. It teaches the patient to relax, desensitizing him to the upcoming work so he will tolerate the procedures. Hypnosis accomplishes this through desensitization to the sound of the drill or the sight of the needle and also gives techniques to handle any pain.
One technique is called glove anesthesia. A client is shown how to have his hand feel extremely cold and to transfer that cold to the pain area, numbing it without the need for pain- killing medications.
Another technique is to guide a client through a series of deep relaxation exercises until the person completely relaxes his body and disassociates from his body in the chair. The result of this disassociation is that any pain that may be experienced appears to be remote and is not considered.
Still a different way is to treat a client to create the relaxation. Then to offer a key word, which, when used, instantly puts the patient into a deep hypnotic state.
A Pre-Visit Eating Plan
The patient or the hypnotist must tell the dentist the key word. During preparation for the visit, the client would be hypnotized to expect the key word from the dentist. The only concern is that the dentist be willing to give the key word before starting the work. Most are keen to give a patient as pain-free and nerve-free of a visit as possible.
Other tips:
Make sure you have eaten a good amount of protein-based foods leading up to the visit, ensuring adequate sugar levels. When the brain receives good sources of nourishment, it functions more effectively from a higher level, reducing nervousness and hypersensitivity. The less stress you feel, the more comfortable you will be.
Visualize yourself entering the dentist’s office. See the treatment as routine. Visualize yourself pain-free, comfortable in the chair. Concentrate on the outcome. When done, know your dental problems are resolved.
I have noticed when the drill starts or the needle appears, a client has a strong tendency to tense about the neck and shoulders. This compounds the problem. A tense body experiences more pain than a relaxed body. Relax your neck and shoulders. Hypnosis will help you to do this.
Remember, teeth are very important, not only to eat but also in areas of general health. Infections from teeth or periodontal disease can cause illness in other areas of the body.
Dental hygiene is as essential to good health as washing every day. Do not allow an easily dealt-with fear to prevent you from having the dental work you need.
If you are worried about an upcoming dental visit or know anyone who is, feel free to contact me.
A clinical hypnotherapist, handwriting analyst and expert master hypnotist, Nicholas Pollak may be contacted at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net
