The VIAL Clinic & Medical Dental Center Offers Dental Hypnosis

Are you afraid of going to the dentist? Do you suffer of a condition that prevents you from using anesthesia? The Clínica VIAL Centro Médico Dental offers dental procedures using hipnosis to alleviate fear and pain.  Doctor Beatriz Testa, dental surgeon and hypnotherapist, explains that hypnosis is a special state of consciousness in which ideas are accepted by suggestion rather than logical evaluation. There are areas in which hypnosis can be used in varying degrees on most patients: diminishing fears and apprehensions, persuading the patient to accept the treatment as well as obtain impressions and bite registrations. Hypnosis can also be helpful in giving suggestions (posthypnotic) which ensure correct follow-up by the patient in the management of dentures, orthodontic appliances, and oral hygiene. Doctor Beatriz talks about the common misconception that being in a hypnotic trance like being asleep. The Doctor explains that the patient stays conscious and is aware everything that happens around them.

Most people can be hypnotized, however, the depth of the trance, ranges from a state close to waking up to a deep state of somnambulism. Dr. Beatriz says that for a more effective hypnosis the hypnotized patient should feel relaxed, cooperative and voluntary. It is only in this manner that they will accept the suggestions of the hypnotist; thus it is important that the hypnotized has confidence in the hypnotizer. For this reason Dr. Beatriz prefers to know her clients well, creating a level of confidence with them before proceeding with the hypnosis.

To see if I was an easy person to hypnotize, Dr. Beatriz decided to value my hypnotic responsiveness with a simple procedure: she asked me to stand straight and breathe deeply, to relax and close my eyes. Then she asked me to extend my arms, she told me that she was going to put an apple in one of my hands, and a papaya in the other one. When she asked me to open my eyes, I realized that the arm that was supposedly holding the papaya was lower than the one with the apple. It was as if I was really holding a heavier fruit in one hand.

After this experience, Dr. Beatriz, Dr. Aldring and their assistant, Nelva Vissuette, were ready to practice dental extractions on a patient with no anesthesia, using only hypnosis. The patient, whose name is Norberto Santana had already been treated by Dr. Beatriz using hypnosis once before. He was asked to lie down on the chair and breathe deeply, then she asked him to visualize himself on a beach feeling calm and confident, she touched the area where they would extract the teeth and asked him to feel how that area was getting numb so he would feel no pain, she assured him the bleeding would be minimal. Dr Beatriz asked the patient if he was ready and he moved his head affirmatively, he opened his mouth and Dr Aldring started with the extractions.

Dr aldring extracted 3 teeth, one of them was quite difficult to extract, as it was one of the teeth with deeper roots. Sometimes the patient seemed to feel tense and uncomfortable, but Dr. Beatriz could relax him until third extraction, then when she asked him if he wanted them to continue he decided not to go on. Before removing the patient's state of hypnosis Dr. Beatriz asked him to follow some rules of hygiene and told him that his mouth would heal soon and that he would not feel pain.

For a patient to be able to be treated with hypnosis must meet the following qualification:

 - Children 5 years and older and with enough oral language to communicate

- Teens

- Adults

- People of the Third Age

- Allergic to anesthesia or other medications

- People with hypertension

- Diabetics

- People with Phobias

- Anyone else wanting to feel relaxed

Dr. Beatriz says that hypnosis is not only used in dentistry, but many other branches of medicine. It is helpful in reducing levels of anxiety, depression and improved self-esteem. To learn more about the various uses and benefits of hypnosis contact Dr. Aldring Atencio to 345-4622, e-mail aldring@gmail.com or Dr. Beatriz  Testa at 2408530 e-mail btestaterapia@yahoo.es.