You might be wondering, what mental health has to do with root canals? Mental health awareness helps us understand more about facing our dental fears and anxiety, very real concerns that can have a negative impact on your oral and overall health if you put off having necessary and routine dental care. If your smile is sick it affects the rest of your body, especially if there is untreated inflammation or infection which can spread to other areas of the body from the mouth, digestive tract and bloodstream. Keeping your smile cavity-and-gum-disease-free is vital to your overall health and well-being.
Dental Anxiety, Fear and Phobias
According to the Journal Of Dental Hygiene – https://jdh.adha.org/content/91/1/30 – there is a difference between dental anxiety, fear and phobia. While anxiety is considered a reaction to a perceived threat (real or not) it can unfortunately manifest both physically and emotionally. Worrying about treatment expenses and expecting pain can be distressing. Phobias arise from fear and get overwhelming. But 50-80% of American adults admit to some levels of anxiety around seeing the dentist. We probably all know family, friends and co-workers (or even ourselves) who delay getting dental care because of a bad experience in their past. Or maybe they don’t like lying there feeling vulnerable while people in masks poke around inside their mouths with metal instruments.
Root Canals
Speaking of anxiety and pain, too many people are still scared about root canals being painful. But a lot of advancements have happened over the years, especially around common root canals. Like routine dental fillings and tooth extractions, and root canals have come a long way with cutting-edge techniques, state-of-the-art tools (lasers instead of drills) and better dental sedation. All of these work together to make dental care easier, safer and more comfortable than ever before, and yes, even with root canals!
If you have been putting off dental care, rest assured that our Denver Restorative Dentistry team in Broomfield, CO, can give you the pain-free care your smile deserves. Call us today at 303-586-1019 to learn more or schedule an appointment with one of our skilled prosthodontists. Dr. Goggins, Dr. Aguirre, Dr. Pitz, and Dr. Poineal are here to help!