Hypnosis in dentistry: Treat children in a relaxed and fear-free manner!

Hypnosis in dentistry: Treat children in a relaxed and fear-free manner!

On September 4, 2025, the first international consensus conference on hypnosis and therapeutic communication in dentistry took place at the Brandenburg Theodor Fontane Medical School in Brandenburg an der Havel mhb-fontane.de reported. The two-day event, which took place on August 27th and 28th, aimed to define clear criteria for future research in the field of dental hypnosis. This is particularly important because dental hypnosis has been established in dentistry for decades, particularly for managing anxiety in children.

The German Society for Dental Hypnosis (DGZH), which has existed for 30 years, acted as one of the driving forces behind this conference. Despite the practical application, the scientific evidence of the procedure is often the subject of debate. The conference was led by Prof. Dr. Gerhard Schmalz from the MHB and Prof. Dr. Thomas Wolf from the University of Bern organized. The event was attended by experts from more than ten nations, including France, Uruguay, Italy and the USA, both in person and online.

Specialist lectures and results

A total of 20 specialist lectures from various disciplines such as dentistry, psychiatry, psychology and anesthesiology were presented. The results of the conference are consistently positive and mark a milestone for the further development of the field. The most important results include the establishment of overarching outcomes for the comparability of studies and the development of a methodological “gold standard”. In addition, clear definitions were developed, the publication of which will be crucial for future research work. The feedback from both the organizing committee and the participants was consistently positive, which strengthens the motivation to sustainably establish dental hypnosis in dentistry.

Particularly noteworthy is the clarity of hypnosis as a method for reducing anxiety and stress during dental visits. Children are particularly predestined for hypnosis by their nature: they spontaneously go into a trance while playing and come out of it just as quickly. This is often used in pediatric dentistry. dgzh.de describes that finger and hand puppets, magic wands or stories are used for trance guidance to make the treatments easier for children.

Hypnosis as an essential treatment method

Dental hypnosis for children not only allows for fear-free but also relaxed treatments. Scientific findings interpret hypnotic trance as a modified state of consciousness that can strongly influence personal feelings. This form of communication and treatment is particularly important because it can also be used with children with disabilities or autism.

The DGZH offers a comprehensive curriculum for pediatric dental hypnosis, which consists of six weekend courses. The first two courses focus on basic knowledge such as trance phenomena and self-hypnosis, while the later courses cover advanced techniques for dealing with uncooperative children as well as reframing and crisis intervention. Further information is available on the DGZH website zwp-online.info presented in detail.

In summary, the consensus conference not only shows the current status of dental hypnosis, but also marks significant progress in the discussion about evidence-based treatment methods. Future research will be crucial to further refine and legitimize the use of hypnosis in dentistry.