Dental Fears

Several months ago, a person called asking if hypnosis could help with “dental fears.”

My mind raced, wondering what fears he had? The sound of the drill? Office smells? Fear of choking?

When we met, he said: “I can’t stand being in the dental chair. I don’t know why. But after a few minutes, I have to get out of there!”

He told me that he’s even left the dental office after they gave him Novocain! He’s not a good candidate for dental sedation. And who wants sedation for a routine visit?

The Struggle

At times, doctors and their patients struggle to do what is needed for good health. Stop smoking. Schedule follow-up appointments. Lower stress/anxiety. Complete lab work. Reduce pain. Taking a pill (prescriptions) sometimes work. And sometimes it doesn’t. But often, it just masks the root problem.

After several hypnosis sessions, this client scheduled an appointment with his dentist.

In his words:

“I was totally fine. In fact, I told them: ‘You can lift the chair higher or lean me back further.’ My dentist was shocked. It was the first time I’ve ever been calm and relaxed there. She wanted to know what changed? I told her I saw a hypnotist. She immediately asked for [Marilyn’s] business cards!”

Traditional western medicine practitioners are beginning to recognize that adding ‘non-traditional’ wellness approaches often improves health.

It’s funny because those ‘non-traditional’ approaches are traditional in many places worldwide. These modalities include acupuncture, yoga, homeopathy, tai chi, hypnosis, massage, energy work, and other mind-body practices.

But don’t just take my word for it.

The National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health launched the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) in 1998. Its mission is to “define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and integrative health interventions and their roles in improving health and health care.”

So, what exactly is “integrative health?”

“…The term ‘alternative,’ suggesting something done instead of conventional medicine, has been giving way to ‘complementary,’ a therapy is done along with mainstream treatment. Both words may ultimately be replaced by “integrative medicine.”

Craig Lambert, Harvard Magazine


In addition, the Mayo Clinic reports, “Mind-body techniques strengthen how your mind and your body work together. Practitioners believe these must be in harmony for you to stay healthy.”

Yes!

Those of us in alternative/complementary/integrative healing fields welcome the recognition. Our services make real, positive changes in people’s lives and wellbeing. And the demand is high. The market was valued at $82 billion in 2020. And it’s growing. From 2021 to 2028, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to be 22.03%.

As a result, the NCCIH has been looking into various ‘complementary’ or ‘alternative’ approaches to improving wellness.

“Hypnosis has been studied for a number of conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), menopausal symptoms, hot flashes in breast cancer survivors, headaches, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It has also been studied for pain control and smoking cessation.” Weight loss and stress/anxiety reduction clients find significant improvement after hypnosis.

National Institutes of Health, National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health

Now, I don’t want to imply hypnosis works for every person, on every issue, or every time.

But we have a great track record. And it is growing. Let’s remember that mainstream medicine doesn’t have a 100% success rate. However, success rates may increase as we smoothly integrating healing practices with traditional medicine. And who doesn’t want better health?

I welcome your thoughts and comments about integrating mind-body approaches with traditional western medicine. What is your experience?

Note: Hypnotists are not state-licensed. Do your research and ensure you work with a board-certified hypnotist who is accredited by a national or international certifying organization that requires continuing education credits for membership.

Cheers!

Marilyn

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