Why you should try to coax yourself into a good mood before going to the dentist.

I just finished a very interesting short book, Thanks!, by Robert Emmons, one of the leading experts on gratitude.

However, I found one of his most interesting observations to be, not about gratitude, but about the connection between happiness and pain.

It’s well known that physical damage doesn’t automatically result in a certain amount of pain. Other factors influence how much pain we feel.

So it turns out that, along with lots of other reasons to be happy, being happy alleviates the severity of pain.

Emmons explains that, because he knows this, he does three things before going to the dentist:
 he takes two aspirin
 he avoids caffeine for four hours before his appointment
 he tries to put himself in a good mood.

Feeling blue heightens feelings of pain and boosts arousal levels, while feeling cheerier makes it easier to withstand pain.

I can’t say I’m actually looking forward to going to the dentist or some other painful appointment, but I’m looking forward to having an opportunity to test out this strategy.

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Comments

[Michelle Potter]

That makes sense. For one thing, childbirth is much harder when you are worried and stressed beforehand.

[Brent]

I use visits to the dentist as an opportunity to consciously practice relaxing. Once upon a time while a hygenist was scraping away at my teeth, I chanced to notice that every muscle in my body was tensed up, and I had a death-grip on the chair. Once I became aware of it, I relaxed and immediately felt better. It's challenging to maintain that state of relaxation, but it does make the time in the dentist's chair a little more comfortable.

[Sara in Austin]

Why the "avoiding caffeine"? Is there a link between caffeine and happiness? I know I can get more anxious with too much coffee, but a little bit usually helps because I get more accomplished, which makes me happier.

[steve]

I might avoid the aspirin. Aspirin supresses the clotting mechanism, so there might be a little more blood involved than if you took some other pain-killer.

[galnoir]

I had dental work done a few weeks ago, and my awesome dentist let me listen to my iPod while he worked. That (and the drugs) made a huge difference ... I was actually able to tune out the sound of the instruments chiseling away at the enamel on my teeth and focus on the music.

[Z.S]

I have written an article on the "Law of Happiness".

Please view this article at :

http://www.lawofhappiness.blogspot.com/

I believe this will bring happiness to a lot of people.

Regards
Z.S

[John of Indiana]

I would lay off the Aspirin. I broke a tooth once, and when they pulled it I bled, and bled, and...

[Wendi Kelly]

This is very timely, I have a major dentist appointment coming up that I have been dreading. I am dentist phobic and it is the one sure thing to ruin my happy mood. Thanks for the tips!
I am surprised to hear about the asprin though. It seems like it would be a blood-thinner and a potential problem for some. I'm not a doctor, so I wouldn't know for sure.

[Christina]

At 23 I finally had my wisdom teeth removed, all four in one go, and I can definitely say, being in a good mood actually made the whole experience.... good. Crazy as that sounds. I was only on the pain meds for a day.

Ultimately what helped the most was that I liked the surgeon. He had excellent beside manner and was very competent. Going in trusting him made me able to relax... and enjoy the nitrous if not the surgery ;0)

[Mrs. Micah]

I used to pop 2 Advil about an hour before orthodontist appointments. That really helped.

But I enjoy the normal dentist in a masochistic sort of way. Makes me feel clean.

[Jennifer]

That picture scares me. I couldn't look at it. :)

Yeah, I'm not sure about the asperin thing. It does thin your blood.

A positive attitude makes a difference in everything. The dentist should be no different. I try to make an effort to consciously prep myself with a good attitude before any encounter with people or any "could be unpleasant" situation. Makes a huge difference. However, finding a dentist you are comfortable with, can make a huge difference for any dental work. I look for the words "gentle family dentistry" in the yellow pages and/or ask for referrals.

[K Stone]

Thank you, Gretchen for the kind mention of my site! What a nice thing to do! And congratulations on your new gig with RealSimple.com! That's fantastic! I checked it out and your articles there are excellent!
Best regards!
Kris

[Gretchen Rubin]

Ok, I think that "the wisdom of crowds" has determined that aspirin is NOT the way to go -- some other pain reliever would be better. I'm an Advil person myself, not sure if we even have aspirin in the house.

[pauline]

Thank you Gretchen for all your wonderful Feedblitz messages...I have a real phobia about the dentist and can sympathize with anyone who suffers like I do...
Namaste,
Pauline

[adora]

I actually love going to the dentist. (Anyone?) It's like getting pampered with a facial but without someone selling you cosmetics.
It is perhaps the unexpected element that makes it more painful. When I give blood, I feel it is better to see the needle going in. So it might help if you can see what your dentist is doing in a mirror.