Patient awareness and misconceptions regarding hypnodontic applications: A cross-sectional survey

Hypnodontics offers documented benefits for managing dental anxiety, gag reflex, bruxism, and temporomandibular disorders. Despite this therapeutic potential, patient awareness of clinical hypnosis in dentistry remains largely unexamined. This study assessed the knowledge and beliefs regarding hypnodontics among patients attending a university prosthodontic clinic.

A cross-sectional survey evaluated 200 patients (response rate: 63.1%) at the Prosthodontics Clinic of Atatürk University between July and September 2022. The adapted instrument comprised a total of 16 questions; 10 questions specifically focused on clinical hypnosis knowledge and beliefs, while the remainder assessed sociodemographic characteristics. Data were analyzed using Pearson Chi-square and Yates' continuity correction tests with Bonferroni correction (p < .05).

Although 69.5% of participants recognized the term hypnosis, only 25.5% were aware of its dental applications, and 83.5% were unfamiliar with traditional and complementary medicine as a formal system. The internet was the primary information source (69.0%). Highly prevalent misconceptions included beliefs that individuals could become permanently entrapped in a hypnotic state (72.5%) or have private information forcibly extracted (57.5%). Misconception rates were significantly higher among participants with lower educational levels (p < .001) and varied by gender (p < .05).

Prosthodontic patients demonstrate limited knowledge and prevalent, media-driven misconceptions regarding hypnodontics. Dental professionals must address these knowledge gaps through targeted education to facilitate the broader clinical adoption of hypnosis in dentistry.