Evidence-based practice of hypnosis in dentistry: Narrative summary of reviews and meta-analysis

The purpose of this article is to provide a concise summary of the scientific literature in the form of a narrative review to highlight areas where the use of clinical hypnosis is supported by scientific evidence in dentistry. A literature review was carried out to identify relevant peer-reviewed articles on PubMed, written in French or in English, with time limitation from 2000 to May 2023, and updated in December 2024. Articles had to be systematic reviews or meta-analysis linked with the management of dental anxiety and acute dental pain, as well as chronic orofacial pain. Twelve articles were selected for analysis, with 8 on dental anxiety, 3 on temporomandibular disorders, and 1 on burning mouth syndrome. Several literature reviews and meta-analyses published on the subject support the use of hypnosis in several clinical contexts, including local anesthesia, dental extraction and dental anxiety in adults and children. Evidence is also presented to improve the condition of patients suffering from pain associated with temporomandibular disorders. However, the literature remains somewhat fragmented because of the diversity of hypnosis techniques applied, and the different dental procedures or conditions explored. Hypnosis can have a considerable impact in the management of dental anxiety and acute dental pain. It also seems promising for the management of orofacial pain, but further research would be necessary. This research highlights that the available evidence is sufficient to encourage the integration of evidence-based hypnosis training to improve the management of acute stress and pain in dental practice.