HYPNOTIC DENTISTRY

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5668, 12 September 1896, Page 2

HYPNOTIC DENTISTRY

TAKING THE PLACE OF AN/ESTHETICS. (New Orleans Times-Democrat.) The day of painless dentistry seems at hand. Hypnotism, which has replaced anaesthetics to a more or less degree in surgery, has now been called into use as a valuable adjunct to dentistry. While in its infancy in this new sphere of usefulness, it ha 9 found strong advocates, and its general adoption would appear only a question of time. Like all radical innovations, it has met with opposition, but not in the degree that might popularly be expected. That is, speaking from the standpoint of the dentist. As for the layman, he is not even aware as yet that the next time he calls on his dentist that worthy is liable to talk of the advantages of hypnotism over drugs so fatally toxic in their character as some anaesthetics. Dentists are not rushing headlong into hypnotism. They are investigating its claims and desiring that the system of hypnotic suggestion Tvill be taught and practised on a scientific basis. The dentistry of the twentieth century will bask in the sunlight of an advanced and thoroughly developed science deprived of dangerous anaesthetics. The mystery which now surrounds the commonly termed occult science, the advanced dentist says, will have to disappear under the searchlight of modern thought and investigation. With an increase of the knowledge of the wonderful power of the mental over the physical nature, the prejudice will gradually disappear. Dr Thomas Fillebrown, of Boston, Massachusetts, an authority on dental science, says: "I prophesy that in a few years every man who practices dentistry scientifically will have his practice controlled by the principle of hypnotic suggestion. It has been urged as an insuperable objection to the success of hypnotism . in dental operations that the constant cutting in the most sensitive portion of our anatomy, the dentine, would rouse the. patient, no matter how thoroughly hypnotized." This, it seems, is not the case when Dr Fillebrown's method is pursued. He counteracts the constant pain by constant suggestion that there is no suffering. Dr Pillebrown does not consider passes necessary to induce hypnosis. He says: "I myself use my eyes more for a fixed point for the patient's gaze. Laying my hand on the forehead and over the eyes to close them and exclude the light is very successful with me, and much preferred by many. In these cases audible suggestion is used the same as in others. Continuous suggestion makes it possible to keep a patient hypnotised and the dentine wholly or partially anaesthetised for a full preparation of the cavity during the light sleep of the first and second degree. I maintain the hypnosis and the anaesthesia by a constant repetition of 'Sleep, sleep; you are resting, you are notsufferiog. you are not dreading it. You do not care for it. Sleep, sleep/ and so on continuously so long as the condition is desired. It is practically a rehypnotizing to offset the continual awaking caused by the cutting of the instrument. In most patients the suggestion 'Wake, up' is sufficient Occasionally it may be needed

to be repeated a little more emphatically." The implantation of teeth is an exquisitely painful operation, yet this was done the other day by the aid o£ hypnosis. At a recent meeting of the First District Dental Society of the State of New York, held at the Academy of Medicine,- 17, West Forty-third Street, this city, hypnotism was the subject of a lengthy discussion, and was heartily endorsed by several prominent dentists. The journals devoted to dentistry are giving room to reports of its successful use. The following case is reported by Dr A. Merkle. It is extremely interesting, as implantation of teeth is one of the most exquisitely painful operations* 1 known: — " It has been my privilege to witness and assist in a case of implantation of thi'ee lower incisors for a patient of mine, by Dr W. J. Younger, of San Francisco. Dr Younger had treated a bad case of pyorrhea for the upper incisors and noted that the patient was using a plate for the lower, and suggested implanting, to which the patient readily consented. We secured three teeth that had been out but three days, and after preparing the. teeth were about to begin implanting when Dr W. Suddoth came in. Dr Younger sug-. gested that Suddoth hypnotise the patient for the operation and thus have a double clinic. Dr Suddoth did so, and it was certainly as fine an exhibition of hypnotism and implantation as one could ever see. Dr Suddoth had the patient under hypnotic influence for over four hours, yet the patient was perfectly conscious of what was being done, but suffered no pain, and when we had finished the operation said he thought it had occupied about fifteen or twenty minutes. The patient would clear the mouth of blood at any time at the suggestion of Dr Suddoth, lie back in the chair, and the operation would go on. The patient was over fifty years old, the teeth had been out for three days, so that absorption was complete and the bone very hard, making the operation more difficult and requiring more time ; but through the entire operation did not suffer at all. When the operation was complete Dr Suddoth aroused the patient and in five minutes he was ready to go, feeling as fresh as one should feel in the morning."