A new Consumer Reports survey on oral health shows most people gave their dental care a thumbs up -- even when it came to painful surgeries like a root canal.

More than 50,000 readers shared their thoughts, and people who put off needed dental treatment were less satisfied with the outcome than those who bit the bullet.

Dentist Dr. Blanca Navarro said, "Not going to your dental appointments may lead to more extensive and more costly dental treatment in the long run."

If the prospect of a painful procedure makes you cringe, there's good news: The survey found that serious pain is rare.

"Only five percent of people who had a root canal said the procedure was severely painful, and only six percent of people who had a tooth pulled [did]. So if you're worried about pain, that's really not a good reason to avoid the dentist," said Nancy Metcalf of Consumer Reports.

The cost of care was a top concern for some. The most frequent reason for delaying dental treatment was that the "procedure was too expensive."

Others worried that the treatment wouldn't be covered through extended health benefits.

"But our survey found that you can negotiate for a better price. Among our readers who tried it for costly procedures-like an implant or a full denture-more than half were successful at getting the price reduced," said Metcalf.

And it turns out, people who brush twice a day and floss every day were more likely to be happy with their smiles than those who don't.

Watch CTV for a full report from Lynda Steele, plus a look at the Detroit Auto Show…

Have your say: Do you put off going to the dentist?