Temporomandibular Disorders: Hypnosis

Topic Overview

As a treatment for temporomandibular disorder (TMD), hypnosis may help you relax your facial and jaw muscles and break unconscious tooth-grinding and jaw-clenching habits.

Under the guidance of a trained psychotherapist, you are guided into a calm, focused, relaxed state of body and mind (trance state). After this state is achieved, you may be more susceptible to the power of motivational suggestions provided by the counselor.

When you complete hypnosis therapy (usually after 3 to 8 sessions), you may receive a motivational tape that you can use to help reinforce the relaxation habit-changing messages that were suggested during therapy.

Psychological evaluation is important before hypnosis therapy is begun to identify any emotional factors that may be contributing to TMD, such as anxiety or depression.

For more information, see hypnosis.