Patients with Low Pain Thresholds: Get Through Your Gum Surgery Without Fear
If you have a low threshold for pain and plan to have gum surgery soon, you may decide to skip your treatment out of fear. It's important that you reconsider your decision and keep your dental appointment as scheduled. Prolonging your treatment may cause additional dental problems later, including infection and tooth loss. With the right tips and dental sedation, you can get through your surgery without pain, fear, or anxiety.
Why Do You Have Low Pain Thresholds?
Your low tolerance to pain may develop from a number of things, including a lack of sleep or insomnia. While it isn't exactly clear as to how insomnia affects pain reception, people with poor sleep habits tend to have a low tolerance to pain. The less sleep the individuals receive, the more chronic pain they tend to experience.
If you're female, you may have a low tolerance of pain in comparison to your male counterparts. Men and women have natural pain relievers in their bodies called beta endorphins. The substances should increase when your body experiences an injury or another issue that places it under stress. However, women tend to produce less beta endorphins than males under stressful situations.
It's important that you take steps to cope with your low pain intolerance now.
How Do You Get Through Your Gum Surgery Without Pain or Stress?
One of the things you might do is get extra sleep at night to help lower your body's stress and anxiety. For example, you may retire to bed at 7 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. Retiring early may help your body relax. If you can't fall asleep at a reasonable time, try reading a good book or sipping on warm tea to ease your stress.
If you're female, visit your primary care doctor for a checkup. Sometimes, hormonal changes from menopause or menstruation can trigger pain, stress, and anxiety. Your doctor may provide treatments that address these issues. Your physician may also suggest that you change your daily diet to reduce your symptoms. For instance, eating foods high in sodium and sugar may increase or aggravate the symptoms of menopause. Healthy vegetables and fruits may be good replacements for you.
Finally, contact a dentist right away to discuss using sedation dentistry during your gum surgery. A dentist may offer intravenous sedation, nitrous oxide, and oral medication to make your procedure feel more comfortable for you. Techniques like intravenous sedation allow you to "sleep" or feel as though you're asleep during treatments. A dental provider can go the effects of each sedation technique and help you decide on the best option for your needs.
For more details about low pain tolerance and how you can overcome it, contact a dentist today.
