Conscious hypnosis as a method for patient motivation in cervical headgear wear--a pilot study. Hypnosis as an adjunct to the administration of local anesthetic in pediatric patients.
The aim of the present study was to assess the efficiency of conscious hypnosis on patient cooperation. The subjects were 30 patients (14 females and 16 males) with a skeletal Class II division 1 malocclusion, divided into two equal groups, a control and a study group. The mean age was 10.78 +/- 1.06 years for the hypnosis, and 10.07 +/- 1.09 years for the control group. Both groups were treated with cervical headgear containing a timer module. The patients were also asked to record their actual wear time on timetables. The hypnosis group patients were motivated with conscious hypnosis while the control group were given verbal motivation by their orthodontist. The timer modules were read at every visit and compared with the timetables. Analysis of variance was used to determine the differences in measurements at each time point. For comparison of the groups, an independent t-test was used. A statistically significant decrease (P < 0.05) in headgear wear was observed in the control group from the first to the sixth month; however, the difference in the hypnosis group was not significant. This result indicates that conscious hypnosis is an effective method for improving orthodontic patient cooperation. There was a low correlation between actual headgear wear indicated by the patient and that recorded by the timing modules, which showed that, timetables are not consistent tools for measuring patient cooperation. This study investigates the acceptance of local anesthetic injection, utilizing hypnosis in twenty-nine children, ages four to thirteen years. Each subject was evaluated twice, once utilizing hypnosis before injection, and once without. A double blind research design was used to avoid effects of expectancy. Subjects in the study were videotaped during the procedure. Their behavior was rated independently by two pediatric dentists, using the North Carolina Behavior Rating Scale (NBRS). Transcutaneous pulse oximetry data were also recorded for each subject. The resulting data were evaluated for statistically significant differences between the two methods and for interrater reliability. Results showed no statistically significant differences in oxygen saturation due to hypnosis condition, order of treatment, sex, race, or age. Statistically significant differences were found in pulse rate and behavior, attributable to hypnosis condition and age, but not to sex, race, or order of treatment. Pulse rate decreased with hypnosis, as did crying. The hypnosis condition seemed to be more successful with younger children (four to six years old).
Although there are a considerable number of anecdotal accounts indicating the benefits of using hypnosis in paediatric dentistry, on the basis of the three studies meeting the inclusion criteria for this review there is not yet enough evidence to suggest its beneficial effects.