Hypnotherapy for dental anxiety

Dental anxiety is Grade B. It is closer to a procedure than to GAD, and the trial count is small.

Key evidence

Valentine 2019 included three post-treatment dental-anxiety trials. The mean weighted effect size was 0.51 (95% CI 0.18–0.84). That is a significant, moderate signal on a thin subset.

The Cochrane record Hypnosis for alleviation of anxiety in adults undergoing dental treatment (CD010688) was withdrawn. This wiki does not treat a withdrawn review as a live result.

Procedure-day distress more broadly is on the Grade A procedural page.

Limitations

Three trials do not define a standard dental-hypnosis dose. Dentist-delivered versus therapist-delivered scripts are not separated here.

What we don't know yet

A replacement Cochrane review would change this page. Until then, dental stays B.

This page is informational only. It is not personal medical advice.