I am hoping you have heard of someone in my particular situation. I have not been able to tolerate dental work in about nine years. I don’t know why it started. In one of my appointments things just kept getting more and more painful. I eventually insisted he stop the work. Though we’ve tried again a few times, I have never been about to get through an appointment. I did get checked and I do not have an allergy. It just seems like the Novocain just stopped working for me. Have you heard of this happening? My dentist is flummoxed. Is there any way for me to get dental work done without having to go under anesthesia?
Brandon
Dear Brandon,
I am glad you wrote. I absolutely can help you. It sounds like at that one appointment you had something very traumatic happen. Maybe the dentist didn’t realize that the numbing medication was not injected in the correct place and that started the pain. After that, it would get harder to get numb even with right placement. Here’s why. There is a connection between dental anxiety and difficulty getting numb. When someone has a high level of anxiety, which would be completely normal after your medication didn’t work at the beginning, there is a metabolic reaction. When you are extremely anxious, your body’s metabolism kicks up and burns off the numbing medication much more quickly. That is why you haven’t been able to get numb. The good news is that there is a solution.
Crushing Dental Anxiety
The key is to alleviate the anxiety that is burning up the medication. Easy, right? While there isn’t an app for that, there are sedation dentists. They can provide you with a medication which will completely relax you. Once that kicks in, your numbing medication will have no trouble working. In fact, it has changed the lives of many patients who have not been able to get through a dental appointment in years.
Given the severity of what you’ve experienced, I suggest you see a dentist who offers oral conscious sedation. It is administered by a pill. However, it is STRONG. Some patients call it sleep dentistry because they end up sleeping through the entire procedure. You will need someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment, as well as stay with you for a few hours after until you are lucid and steady on your feet.
This will enable you to get your oral health back on track.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.
Click here to learn about metal-free dental care.