Health: Overcoming fear of dentists

suaziz@nstp.com.my

2011/04/05

Dentist phobia is as common as our love for food. SU AZIZ wonders how our food-obsessed society can overcome its fear and get into oral health

THE man pacing up and down the five-foot way seems to be perspiring profusely. And it’s an oddly cool, breezy day in Kuala Lumpur. For a long while, the stray cats lazing nearby observe the man with some annoyance — his pacing is interrupting their afternoon slumber.

Still, the man is unaware of the cats’ feral and hostile stares. Every few steps, he looks up to the signage just above a closed glass door. After a few seconds he looks away to continue with his pacing and wiping his forehead with a soaked, crumbly piece of lunch napkin.

The object of his fear and pain is a black-on-white signboard that announces a dental clinic and its services.

Now, stop for a minute. Could this be you? Would you rather face death than a dentist? Do you cancel your dental appointment a million times before you actually get yourself to one and it’s not because you’re as busy as a squirrel before winter? Any “yes” to the questions show a degree of dentist phobia. And it’s fine. There are many out there who fear dentists. In fact, I’m pretty sure dentists are more feared or disliked than Adolf Hitler ever was! Take comfort in knowing you’re not alone. Apparently, three out of 10 people suffer from dentist or dental phobia.

At least, despite beliefs, a dentist is out there for your well-being. And his medical expertise keeps your teeth intact, which in turn allows for food to be chewed and enjoyed.

Also, let’s admit it, toothless grins are only charming on a 5-year-old but not even a 90-year-old can carry it off. The latter group simply looks rather silly, if not downright eerie.

According to a website with a reference to DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), dentist phobia is a “marked and persistent fear that is excessive or unreasonable”. It seems a little unsympathetic but it's way better than to think of it as a mental disorder, no? So, let’s get to a few tricks on how to overcome your dentist phobia. As you’d know, the Internet is a wonderful source of information and below are just some lifted from various websites that has helped me in the past.

Find a supportive dentist From bupa.co.uk, it’s been reported that dentists are trained to take your fears seriously and deal with them sensitively. Some dentists specialise in treating nervous patients.

One way of finding a supportive dentist is by word of mouth. You may be able to get a recommendation from someone who has been to a dentist who was sympathetic to his or her needs.

Tell your dentist your secrets From the very beginning, be honest. The same website advises honesty in areas of: 1. Timing. Ask your dentist to let you go at your own pace. This way you are facing your fear and gradually overcoming it step by step.

2. Control. Talk to your dentist about having some control over the amount of treatment that you’re having done. You may feel more in control if you have a signal (raising your hand, for example) that lets the dentist know that you would like him or her to stop.

3. Specific concerns. If there are things you’re worried about or a traumatic experience, tell your dentist. Dentistry has advanced a great deal in recent years and there are many methods for controlling and relieving pain.

4. Choices. There are ways to help you relax, such as sedation and hypnotherapy. And remember, if you don’t feel comfortable with the first dentist you visit, you don’t have to go back to him again.

5. Time. Most of all, ask for time. When you make the appointment, let the dentist know you need a bit more time than others to settle down and get comfortable.

Get distracted Sometimes, focusing your attention on something more mundane helps in making yourself forget (temporarily) your phobia of dentists. The few tricks below might just work.

1. Talking: Have a chat with your partner before the treatment. Or your partner can accompany you during the treatment until it’s no longer possible, but ask your partner or dentist to keep chatting with you about an involving topic.

2. Plug in your favourite tunes. Immerse yourself in them and escape into another world. For some it may be audio books or a favourite radio talk show.

3. My personal trick is to schedule my dental check-up and scaling on the morning of a big date. That way I channel all my thoughts towards what to wear for the date, hair, make-up, which restaurant to recommend and the like. It may sound flaky but it sure helps in my hour of panic.

4. If all else fails, try hypnotherapy. It’s been known to help relieve anxiety.

Practice makes perfect Now, the good thing is, this is the month where you can have trial runs with a few dentists for free, thanks to Colgate’s Oral Health Month (OHM). This is the eighth such annual event created and hosted by Colgate-Palmolive with the support of the Malaysian Dental Association (MDA).

It offers free check-ups by dentists, educational displays and demonstrations, oral hygiene product trials, family-friendly activities, promotional offers on toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss and mouth rinses, as well as free product samples through a series of OHM marquees.

These marquees are held in select major locations in public shopping malls to accommodate the significant number of public visitors each year. Last year, more than 33,000 visitors benefited from educational activities through these major marquees.

In addition, Colgate will partner the MDA to offer free dental check-ups in 711 participating dental clinics this month. For the full list, log onto www.colgate.com.my and click onto the red and white banner on the right of the website that states Our Mission: Zero Cavities. Once there, click onto “Get A FREE Check Up” and you’re on your way! See? You’re first step closer to overcoming your fear. That wasn’t so bad, was it? Now, time to move to the next step. Don’t worry. This is merely a check-up. The dentist is merely going to take a look at your teeth and gums. Keep practising. Go to different dentists on the list or join their marquee for practice. Remember, it gets easier every time. And no, I wouldn’t lie to you.

CBH PIONEER GROUP 2010

We would like to share some feedback/comments from the CBH pioneer group 2010.

 "I like CBH because it is a very structured and useful in going to the root of the problems. I also like this as an elegant model which is based on stoic philosophy that can be followed as a way of life rather than just as a therapeutic intervention"

~ Jyothi Chelamcharla

“CBH is a refreshing shift from the usual hypnotherapeutic techniques in dealing with problems.

Most psychotherapy focuses on the content of the problem.

CBH is different because it focuses on the process of the problem.

I find CBH very logical and structured yet very out-of-the-box.

Certainly a very powerful tool to include in the arsenal of therapeutic techniques to be used.”

~ Dr Alan Soh

“LCCH Asia reaching another milestone with its pioneer CBH group in Kuala Lumpur.   I love CBH because it has helped me and now I can use CBH to help others.

CBH will give you skills to work through those thoughts that control the emotional state. It is very powerful stuff’.

A truly integrative endeavour that asks questions about behaviour, cognition, emotions. It was a challenging and exciting course.”

~ Thevi Sinnadurai

'Learning the CBH was truly enjoyable and life changing for me. Irrational beliefs are the core of psychological distress for us humans. CBH which employs the REBT model with hypnotherapy teaches us to recognise, come up with rational and realistic counterparts, integrate these into our system in numerous interesting methods and maintaining these newly found beliefs by constant practice. Apart from being equipped to help our patients and empower them with lifelong skills to face adversities in their lives, it also had a profound effect on changing my outlook in life. '

~ Dr Gayathri

“The class, lecturers and students were wonderful. Unlike in fundamental Clinical Hypnosis class, we associated an event that made us distress to something normal and in a strange and contradictory way the event lead us closer in achieving our goals. Moving forward, Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapy CBH emphasize on the belief rather than the event on why the distress should not bothers us.  After all it does not bother others. Having that belief, reprograming thoughts (i.e. from negative and destructive to positive and productive) through hypnosis are much quicker and permanent. I would suggest students completing their Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis to continue pursuing Diploma in Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapy.”

~ Ahmad Marzuki Ishak

“I was hesitant at first to sign up for CBH. I thought I should just concentrate on improving my skills in hypnotherapy with what I had already learnt, and there was already so much material I had learnt, from Certificate through to Diploma and through to Practitioner Diploma. Surely all that material is sufficient to make me a more than competent hypnotherapist, I thought.

However, at the back of my mind, I had the notion that one can never ever be "competent", just as one can never have enough learning, because if one were to set "competence" or learning as finite goals, one would stop growing, developing and improving. CBH brought this notion out from the back of my mind and made it tangible, as CBH and the principles of Albert Ellis's REBT which it embodies, provides a model which encourages a lifetime of learning, and provides the tools one needs for a lifetime of improvement, growth and development. I am so pleased I signed up for the course. I totally enjoyed myself, and having successfully challenged my unhealthy beliefs during the course, with the help of my very able course mates, am now a "changed" person! “

~ Ng Yi-Ching

“After the CBH, i can manage my own emotions and thoughts much better, I know I am responsible to make my day either sunny, rainny, shinny or stormy. I can now explain the unreasonable into reasonable. This is not only noticeable by myself, even friends and family notice the "new" me...”

~ Monica Low

NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING (NLP) FOR HYPNOTHERAPISTS COMES TO ASIA

Ms Thevi Sinnadurai PDCH from the LCCH conducted the first two-day workshop on the ‘Art of Changing using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)’ from 26-27 February 2011 in Kuala Lumpur.  Among the topics presented were on the introduction of NLP, presuppositions of NLP, unconscious filters, your internal world : representation system : VAK, eye accessing cues, body language, changing states, creating achievable outcomes (goals) and introduction to timeline therapy.

The course is in response to the many requests from students.  

Below are some of the feedback/comments from our students.

“I am more than satisfied with the aforementioned workshop. I bought the book on NLP by Richard Bandler last year but didn’t quite grasp the gist of it. Ms Thevi's presentation was succinct, pragmatic and thought stimulating. The handout notes are comprehensive and illustrative.  She is indeed an excellent lecturer---approachable, confidence inspiring, open minded ----need I elaborate more?   

But, but---I think you should advertise such useful workshop to attract and benefit more participants to make more fruitful exchange of views and knowledge. Perhaps at least 8-10 participants will be optimal.  However, I am not complaining --- we had personal attention from the dedicated coach and I had very communicative fellow participants. It was indeed an enjoyable weekend for me.” 

~ CY Wong

"The 2-day course, conducted by an experienced NLP practitioner who’s also well versed in hypnotherapy, was a great learning and sharing experience for me. Together with fellow-hypnotherapists, we explored the contents and application of both fields. The NLP books suddenly came alive! Thank you, Thevi.”

~ Lily Hor 

Can Clinical Hypnosis Help People Living with Arthritis, Rheumatism, Gout and other Related Disorders?

The purpose of this article is to explain what clinical hypnosis is, how it may benefit people living with arthritis, rheumatism, gout and other related disorders, in particular in managing pain, and in procuring and maintaining lifestyle changes.

What is clinical hypnosis?

Historically, hypnosis has been used in religious ceremonies, and has been associated with magic, the occult and the supernatural. Hypnosis still has these associations today. It is no wonder then that the general public, including many professionals, view hypnosis with bemusement, scepticism, suspicion and fear. Some people may also have images of swinging pendulums and stage hypnotism, with volunteers on stage clucking or mooing, when hypnosis is mentioned.

This view of hypnosis is now changing. Due to the encouraging results of numerous scientific studies and research on hypnosis conducted from the 18^th century and which continue to date, hypnosis has now found its way into mainstream medical and clinical settings. Clinical hypnosis is being used for, inter alia, fractures, cancer, burns, pain relief, gastrointestinal disorders, phobias, childbirth and dentistry. Many hospitals, especially in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, are now staffed with clinical hypnotherapists. 

Although there is no singular and universally accepted definition of clinical hypnosis, a widely accepted definition is the one offered by the American Psychological Association’s hypnosis division (Yapko, 2003) –

“Hypnosis is a procedure during which a health professional or researcher suggests that a client, patient or subject experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts and behaviour.”

How Can Clinical Hypnosis Help?

Pain Management

The most notable symptom of arthritis, rheumatism and/or gout is chronic pain. Hypnosis can be used, as part of a patient’s treatment program, to reduce sensitivity to pain.

Well-controlled experiments have been carried out to test the effectiveness of including hypnosis as part of treatment programs for the relief and control of pain. They have shown hypnosis to be an effective tool.

One such study conducted by David Spiegel, MD, et al, and published in the April 29, 2000, issue of The Lancet, concluded that hypnosis reduced pain, anxiety, and blood pressure complications in patients undergoing invasive medical procedures.

A more recent study (published in the November-December 2004 issue of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine) by researchers at the University of Iowa, IU Carver College of Medicine and the Technical University of Aachen, Germany, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to find out if hypnosis alters brain activity in a way which may explain pain reduction.

They found a distinctly different pattern of brain activity in volunteers experiencing painful heat under hypnosis than when not under hypnosis. There was reduced brain activity in top levels of the pain network, and increased activity in the left anterior cingulated cortex and the basal ganglia. The researchers speculate that this increased activity in these two regions of the brain may be part of an inhibition pathway which blocks the pain signal from reaching the higher cortical structures responsible for pain perception.

Faulty and negative thought patterns

Painful arthritis attacks can also have a psychological impact on patients. Patients may often have feelings of helplessness, sadness and loss, due to a realization that they have lost their good health, mobility and/or independence. There may also be feelings of stress, anxiety and low self-esteem. Such negative emotions may further aggravate the pain, and a vicious circle of pain and negative emotions may develop. Therefore, it is desirable for a pain management to be comprehensive, which includes challenging faulty and negative thought patterns.

Hypnosis can be used to challenge these thought patterns as it includes relaxation techniques to minimize stress and anxiety, positive ego-strengthening suggestions to restore confidence, raise self-esteem and motivation, and other techniques to shift negative thoughts towards a more balanced thought pattern. Patients are also taught self-hypnosis so that they can maintain a more positive outlook, as well as to manage their pain autonomously, after leaving the therapy room. 

Motivation for Change in Lifestyle

Hypnosis may also be used to motivate patients towards adopting and maintaining a healthier lifestyle, by encouraging them to incorporate exercise and to adopt a healthier diet as part of their treatment plan.

What to Expect in a Hypnosis Session

The first session will involve taking a thorough case history of the patient, discussing his/her concerns and identifying a concern which the patient would first like to address. A personalized treatment plan will be presented and hypnosis will also be explained to the patient, to dispel any misconceptions. If hypnosis is used, it would include relaxation, pain reframe and ego-strengthening suggestions. Typically, a first session lasts 1½  hours.

In the second session the patient may be taught pain control techniques and self-hypnosis, which will be reinforced under hypnosis. Typically, a second session lasts 1 hour. Ego-strengthening and motivational suggestions will also be given to the patient under hypnosis to boost his confidence and shift his mind set positively. The patient is encouraged to practise self-hypnosis on a daily basis, so that he/she may gain control and autonomy over his/her concerns.

The third session also typically lasts an hour. In this session the patient may give feedback on his/her progress and reinforcements through hypnosis may be given if required.

Subsequent sessions may or may not be required depending on the patient’s progress.

Patients should inform their medical doctors or specialists of their intention to see a qualified clinical hypnotherapist, before they do so. This is because clinical hypnosis is a complementary treatment, to be incorporated in a patient’s medical treatment plan, and is not an alternate therapy.

References

Yapko, Michael D.,  Trancework : an introduction to the practice of clinical hypnosis (3^rd Edition) (2003) NewYork & Hove, Brunner-Routledge

Hypnosis for Pain (2001). In WebMD, Inc. Retrieved October 28, 2010 from http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/hypnosis-for-pain

University of Iowa (2005). Brain Imaging Studies Investigate Pain Reduction By Hypnosis.  In ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 28, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050326100346.htm

Ng Yi-Ching, D.Hyp, PDCHyp, MBSCH, is a clinical hypnotherapist and practices at Global Doctors Specialist Centre (Hospital), 18 Jalan Kiara, Mont’ Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur (+603-62030999). She holds a Diploma and a Practitioner Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis and trained with the London College of Clinical Hypnosis (Asia). She is also a Full Member of the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis in the United Kingdom.

Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia Pre-Annual General Meeting Workshop - Clinical Hypnotherapy - Approaches in Healthcare and Medicine, 15 April 2011, Kuala Lumpur

This workshop is presented by the London College of Clinical Hypnosis (LCCH) in collaboration with the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia (AFPM) and it would present a unique opportunity for General Practitioners, Medical and Allied Healthcare professionals as well as students to explore the contribution that Clinical Hypnosis can make to treatment plans and to patient benefits.

The workshop is hands on and participants will experience clinical hypnosis, learn how to do self-hypnosis and observe the use of clinical hypnotherapy.  Discussion on how to create a suitable treatment plan will integrate the expertise from the various disciplines of healthcare delegates and highlight how and when clinical hypnosis can provide benefits to the patient.  Participants will gain both useful insight and practical skills to benefit their patients.

The workshop is set in the current context of the worldwide resurgence in the clinical use of hypnosis as the medical community takes a more holistic approach to the management of a wide variety of presenting symptoms and condition.  

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

It is designed to provide :

• Hands on experience of clinical hypnotherapy
• Wider understanding of how patients may benefit through clinical hypnosis
• Creation of treatment plan including clinical hypnosis for hypertension
• Creation of treatment plan including clinical hypnosis for pre- and post-operative care
• How to use clinical hypnosis for self-relaxation
• How to identify a qualified clinical hypnotherapist
• LCCH-AFPM certificate of attendance

For more details, you may download the flyer at www.hypnosis-malaysia.com 

By Sheila Menon, Principal & Director

New Career on the Horizon by Sheila Menon

The desire to help others is a natural response in the current climate of stress and stress related illnesses. More students are enrolling onto courses about psychology and many adults are exploring second careers in the caring professions.

Clinical Hypnosis is a field of mind body medicine providing new opportunities in both the health-care and corporate sector. Today clinical hypnosis is increasingly available in UK for psychological and medical conditions. In Malaysia, the London College of Clinical Hypnosis (LCCH) working in collaboration with the Academy of Family Physicians has introduced personal and professional training in Clinical Hypnosis.

Rising Demand

Hypnosis is the language of our inner mind. Using clinical hypnosis you have greater access to your true potential. “Patients and clients learn coping strategies, new habits and skills much more easily in hypnosis”, says Thanam Selva, clinical hypnotherapist at the LCCH Center. This therapy is enormously effective with conditions like insomnia, obesity, procrastination, anxiety disorders and depression. In addition, clinical hypnosis facilitates a more optimistic mind set and improves  motivation and confidence.  Thanam adds that more people are aware of the benefits of clinical hypnosis thus making the demand for qualified clinical hypnotherapists rise.

Colleague Dr Abdul Hanan talks about the wide range of medical conditions that are also assisted by using clinical hypnosis.  These include pain management, fertility treatment and even post operative recovery. Dr Hanan who lecturers for the LCCH goes on to say that one of the nicest parts of the clinical hypnotherapy is watching the smiling faces as the patients emerge from the hypnosis state. It is a great feeling when you help someone who has battled with a problem for years”.

New Profession

Sheila Menon, Principal of the LCCH Asia has been training clinical hypnotherapist for 25 years. “The options are limitless”, she says as clinical hypnosis has applications to medical, emotional and psychological problems. It is called a brief therapy because it helps people towards their goals quickly. Menon says that many clinical hypnotherapists work as independent consultants. “We opened the LCCH Therapy Center with branches in Penang and Johor to provide a safe environment for our graduates to work”. There are many opportunities with LCCH trained clinical hypnotherapists working within government hospitals, a major hotel chain, Banking HR, Universities, other therapy centers and Medical Clinics. The LCCH also work closely with the Academy of Family Medicine and the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis so that standards are of the highest quality. In fact, our Practitioners are amongst the finest trained in Asia.

Formal Training

Formal training is practical and fun. It starts with a foundation in personal and professional development. Students learn all about the unconscious mind and how to be safe ethical and competent whilst doing hypnosis. The working with patients part is taught during the Diploma level. Students start with simple habits  - smoking cessation, weight management and phobias and progress to complex conditions which include medical conditions like skin conditions, cancer patients, pregnancy, as well as bereavement, abuse and psycho-sexual dysfunction

In 2010 the LCCH pioneered the Cognitive Behaviour Hypnotherapy course in Asia. “It is exciting to be part of the team who are introducing clinical hypnosis to Asia”,  says Thevi Sinnadurai Course Director for the LCCH Asia. Thevi has her own busy practice specializing in trauma work, anxiety and smoking cessation. “We also developed the LCCH corporate arm specializing in training, motivation and goal setting which opened last year”.

Learning from the Best

The LCCH are recipients of the Best College of Clinical Hypnosis Brand awarded by the prestigious Brand Laureate. In Asia all courses receive UK University accreditation and the LCCH is one of the most prestigious training organizations for Clinical Hypnosis in Europe and Asia. Training is available in KL, Penang and Singapore.  The LCCH are also custodians for a prestigious Fellowship at Harvard University.

“There are three levels to the International Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis. Level 1 also called the Certificate in Clinical Hypnosis is open for professional and personal development. Clinical supervision and clinical practice are also an essential part of level 2 and level 3 and are designed to ensure that graduates and practitioners are of the highest standards”.

The LCCH is now open for enrollment for the International Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis. This part-time course begins on the 26^th March at University Malaya.

For enquiries call Mildred on 03 79606 439 or visit www.hypnosis-malaysia.com  

Average of 60 suicides per month in the country

"Two people commit suicide daily in Malaysia and experts believe the figure could be higher with the many undetermined deaths..........................."


Read the full story at The Star Online