title: Significant variation in salivation by short-term suggestive intervention: a randomized controlled cross-over clinical study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most dental procedures require a dry working environment. Although many evaporative drying methods are available, an additional reduction of salivary flow would often be helpful.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective randomized cross-over study compares salivary production in 31 volunteers during direct, indirect, and non-suggestive (control group) intervention. Overall, each volunteer underwent four salivation measurements, i.e. two measurements during two different types of hypnotic suggestion (indirect and direct) arranged in random order and two control sections. All four measurements were conducted successively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both suggestive methods significantly reduced salivary production in comparison to the two control sections (direct suggestion Δ = 1.46 grams per 5 min, p < 0.001, indirect suggestion Δ = 0.94 grams per 5 min, p = 0.039). Direct suggestion showed a significantly higher reduction of salivary production than indirect suggestion (Δ = -0.53 grams per 5 min, p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypnotic suggestion represents a simple and inexpensive method to reduce salivation and could thus create a better working environment for more comfortable dental treatments for both patients and dentists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Department of Operative and Restorative Dentistry, Periodontology, and Pedodontics, University Medical Center Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. max@satzl.de.
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Satzl
authors.forename: Albrecht
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmierer
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeman
authors.forename: Gottfried
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmalz
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Loew
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012472:Salivation / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult