On Sunday, Dr Robert Diaz an oral and facial surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary will tell the British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis that hypnotherapy can give patients a more pleasant experience in surgery and could cut NHS spending.

He has conducted research on patients having their wisdom teeth extracted.

Twenty patients were given sedation with valium and another 20 were given sedation plus hypnosis.

Recovery time after surgery was almost halved for those given hypno-sedation - down from 50 to 32 minutes - and the patients were more relaxed during surgery, said Dr Diaz.

Their heart rate was dramatically lower, suggesting they were less stressed.

Dangerous

Wisdom teeth are normally removed under general anaesthetic which can be dangerous and unpleasant for patients.

Dr Diaz says around 6% of patients undergo sedation to have their teeth extracted.

Using hypnosis as well could increase the numbers, he says.

"We used conversational hypnosis, outlining an image of a comfortable, relaxing place and using the noises from outside, for example, suggesting the air conditioning was waves on a beach or the wind."

The patients were only offered hypnosis when they came in for surgery.

"Hypnosis is a reasonable treatment option which can reduce the number of general anaesthetics given and increase safety," he said.

"It could also save the NHS money as anaesthesia is expensive and patients have to stay longer in hospital afterwards, possibly overnight."

Dr Diaz only started using hypnosis last year and now uses it routinely.

In control

Several dentists and doctors have incorporated the technique into their work for many years.

Dentist John Gladstone says he has used it for more than 30 years. He started because he was terrified of the dentist's chair himself and wanted to help his patients.

"There are no chemicals involved and the patient is in control the whole time," he said. They are not unconscious, just relaxed."

One of his patients, Liz Cooper, said she was sceptical at first when Dr Gladstone suggested hypnotherapy when she had extensive crown work done.

"I was aware of what was going on, but not of any sensation of pain," she said.

The British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis says new restrictions on the use of general anaesthetics in dentistry following a string of deaths are a good argument for it to be made available to many more people.

The society represents around 300 professionally qualified hypnotists including psychologists, speech therapists, doctors and dentists.

Under new rules introduced by the General Dental Council five months ago, only fully qualified anaesthetists can use general anaesthesia on patients.

The British Dental Association, which has issued advice to dentists on how to gain hypnosis information and training, welcomed a call for an increase in the use of hypnosis in dentistry.