The Use of Auditory Distraction and Music Hallucinations in Dental Practice

Abstract

Not very much is known about auditory stimuli and their importance within the clinical application of hypnosis in dental practice. Yet we do know that stimuli which mean danger (e.g., the sound of the dentist’s drill) are factors of great importance when we try to keep the dental patient, who is suffering from fear, calm and relaxed. Sounds are important to psychosomatic pain control and the pain perception threshold. Methods to gain control are discussed in this paper. Ear-phones built into the dental chair - invisible and unknown to the patient - and delivering a “white sound” have been used by the author. When the patient enters the dental situation, the pleasant sound is switched on and is gradually increased to that level where the fearful noises from the drill and the dental instruments are erased. A study is described which involves one group of patients exposed only to the auditory distraction, and another exposed to auditory distraction in combination with suggestions of relaxation given in hypnosis. The experiences of the patients in the experimental situation are compared with a control situation. Because many patients are interested in music, this, too, can be used in hallucinatory strategy. Entering deeper trance they can imagine music they love and thereby exclude fearful negative sounds.