I had an awful dental appointment. First, it took twelve shots of Novacain before I even came close to numb. I wasn’t completely numb even then but just needed to get on with the appointment. Then, a few days after the appointment I developed a bone spur. Every time when even just my tongue hit that bone spur it sent a shooting pain. It took the dentists 30 minutes to remove the spur. Now, a week later, there is a sharp bone sticking out that is making everything I do uncomfortable. Is this normal? Is there anything I should be worried about with this ridge? I’ve sort of lost confidence in this dentist.
Brianna
Dear Brianna,
I am glad you wrote. Aside from the numbing situation, I don’t think you did anything really wrong here. It is fairly common for a sharp edge to appear after someone has a tooth removed. When the procedure first happens your gums are swollen so you don’t see these ridges. But, sometimes there will be a loose piece of bone, but he should have removed any of those. The bony ridge you currently have is normal. However, if it is bothering you, the dentist can and should smooth it over for you.
Difficulty Getting Numb at the Dentist
The one thing he didn’t quite get right is your Novocain. When a patient has trouble getting numb it is usually due to dental anxiety. This has an impact on your metabolism which burns up the numbing medication before it can do the job it was intended to do. What can prevent that is if you take a medication that relaxes you.
Your best option is to use a sedation dentist whenever you need a significant procedure done. They can provide you with dental sedation, which will completely relax you. Most dentists will provide you with two options of dental sedation. The lowest is nitrous oxide. This is sometimes called laughing gas because it gives you a floaty feeling.
A more potent option is oral conscious sedation. This is administered by a pill. However it is so strong that you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment, as well as stay with you for a few hours after your appointment until you are lucid and steady on your feet. Some people call this sleep dentistry because you are able to sleep through your entire appointment if you want to. You will never have trouble with getting numb at an appointment again.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazzo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.