Hypnosis as a relaxation technique is a good way to aid with Dental anxiety. However it does take a far bit of time but does work if done properly which means choosing the right subjects, ie those that actually want treatment as it can not make you do something you don't want to.

I was talking to a 'qualified' hypnotherapist last year and put it to him that there will always be a percentage who just cannot be hypnotised. he looked me in the eye and said 'no such thing.' I woke up a day later with no money left and a sore behind.
No seriously...he explained that in theory anoyone can be trated with hypnotherapy as, as mentioned by other posters, its not all about falling asleep and passing out etc its someone re-programming you, maybe finding out what is holding you back from doing/stopping the thing you most want to. maybe even just drawing a line under a problem by taking action like that. i dont think you can generalise, everyone will respond differently but there are basic underlying 'norms' and thsi guy said he believed that anyone can be helped. when he 'took his beret' off later he did come over and say that some people are a bloody lot harder work that others though! but it still wouldnt be impossible to get through to the most sceptical of people if time and funds were allowing.

I've always wanted to try this but am a little bit apprehensive about being put under and not coming back out/something going wrong!

Also, how do you know the hypno guy is the real deal and not just some smooth talking con artist? (What quals/certificates should i look out for etc)

Some therapists use Ericksonian hypnosis, whci is more like a trance like state. Solution focused therapy can help, and some therapist believe that is a form of mild hypnotism.
it is part linguistic programming and part trance and has a success rate of around 60%

Originally Posted by Boozy

I've always wanted to try this but am a little bit apprehensive about being put under and not coming back out/something going wrong!

Also, how do you know the hypno guy is the real deal and not just some smooth talking con artist? (What quals/certificates should i look out for etc)

My half day course gave me a very snazzy looking certificate!

But more seriously, it depends what reason you're getting hypnotherapy for.

I have done various courses but would only offer it as part of dental treatment as that is what my training was for and would be part af an NHS course of treatment.

Would hope that anything offered via NHS was legit.

Unfortunately it's hard to know whether you have got a legit practitioner. Hopefully they will be registered with whatever body registers hypnotheraipists. So, you could ask what their background is and try to check out their credentials prior to making an appointment.

I've been to Paul McKenna's one day seminar hypnotherapy for weight loss in London. It was about £200 and very good/very interesting. Forget all the stage entertainment. This is clinical hypnotherapy. Anyway, towards the end of the seminar he hypnotised a girl, (ok on the stage) to be rid of her addiction to chocolate. She said she hated tomatoes and he hypnotised her to understand that chocolate, from now on, would be as appealing to her as tomatoes. By the time he was finished she was just about gagging because he was so good at getting her to imagine it ! It wasn't a conjouring trick and she wasn't in on it. The seminar was also about self perception and putting an end to negative self talk. He also explained the hunger score/hunger scale.

I listen to his weight loss cd regularly, and yes, it works. It's not a magic trick though. Hypnotherapy assists a person to change their behaviours. For weight loss this means only eating when you are hungry and listening to the signal from your stomach to let you know you are getting full. There's other advice too.

Apparently not everyone can be hypnotised. In not so many words a one to one hypnotherapist told me you can't hypnotise someone who is to stupid to concentrate and you can't hypnotise someone against their will.