PERSONAL HEALTH : Mental Stress May Mean Dental Mess

Patients who feel uptight before oral surgery are much more likely to have complications, says Henrietta Logan, a professor in the College of Dentistry at the University of Iowa.

Logan and her research team asked 150 dental patients, ages 17 to 30, to rate their own stress levels before having their wisdom teeth extracted. Then they tracked post-surgery complications such as infections and socket problems.

Patients who were the most concerned had twice as many complications as those who did not report feeling particularly anxious. The difficulty of the surgery did not seem to affect the complication rate, Logan also found.

Apprehension can result in diminished saliva production and dry mouth, she says. And that, in turn, could contribute to the increased number of complications. “Having enough saliva to wash away bacteria is an important component of healing,” she suggests.

Her advice: “Surgeons and their staffs should be aware that stressed patients are likely at risk for problems. Oral surgeons should spend some time with patients before surgery, relaxing and reassuring them.”

On their own, patients might also consider learning deep breathing methods and other relaxation strategies before they undergo dental surgery, Logan adds.