ABSTRACT
A variation of 13.3–29.3% of children suffer from dental fear, anxiety, or phobia and present difficulties to cope with dental treatment. This chapter will present an overview of how hypnosis methods can be used by dentists to help children overcome dental anxiety. Background for the nature of the problem and commonly used principles are described together with the small body of evidence, which can be found within the literature of hypnosis in pediatric dentistry. Ego-state methods at a metaphor level have been used in daily clinical practice to develop the child's resources in order to more easily perform dental treatment. This method used successfully in combination with the well-known tell-show-do principle is illustrated with a clinical case. The sound of the drill has often conditioned a pain reflex and arousal of the sympathetic nervous system. A special hypnotic technique developed to reframe and decondition this pain reflex is described. Cases demonstrate the use of ego-state therapy with metaphors on gagging and digit sucking.
