Confusion as a technique to induce hypnosis in a severely anxious pediatric dental patient.

Hypnosis may be the tool of choice in patients who reject or otherwise cannot receive pharmacological modalities, or behavioral interventions. It is a state of mind in which suggestions are not only more readily accepted than in the waking state, but also acted upon much more powerfully than would be possible under normal conditions. Confusion is one of many techniques, which may aid the practitioner in inducing hypnosis. A case of using confusion to induce hypnosis in an extremely anxious 13-year-old girl in the dental office is presented.