• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

    Register now to access all the features of the forum.

Lower teeth getting numb question

L

Luba1

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
74
Hello,

Dentists have a lot of trouble getting my lower teeth numb. I've only ever had work on molars and premolars on lower teeth, and am wondering: are the front lower teeth hard to get numb in a person like myself too? Or is it just the back teeth.

I recently had a RC done on an upper front tooth, and it numbed up so fast I couldn't believe it. Even faster than my top molars do. This made me wonder if the lower front teeth might be easier to numb up...
 
Hi.

You may have an extra (accessory) nerve supplying sensation to the molar teeth. I'd try another injection of local anaesthetic next to or behind the molar tooth (known as a long buccal in the trade - just an easy wee jab really) as well as the usual injection ID block).

Not all that unusual at all.

Hope that helps.

Pars :)
 
Do you think that I'd have reason to be worried about my lower front teeth being difficult to numb too?

I think the fact that I don't get numb is the sum of all my fears re. dentists.

Pars said:
Hi.

You may have an extra (accessory) nerve supplying sensation to the molar teeth. I'd try another injection of local anaesthetic next to or behind the molar tooth (known as a long buccal in the trade - just an easy wee jab really) as well as the usual injection ID block).

Not all that unusual at all.

Hope that helps.

Pars :)
 
I usually don't find much difference between lower front teeth and lower molars, don't know what Pars thinks.
 
No difference usually. You can always have some more LA, and remember to give it time to work. No point having a jab if the dentist starts work on the tooth too soon. Other means of administering local anaesthetic are available if there is a particularly troublesome tooth, but these are awkard at best. Sounds like your wee teeth may be hyper sensitive because you are already anxious. Some form of relatation may also be appropriate eg hypnosis, valium etc.

Pars :)
 
Thanks for letting me know about this Gordon and Pars. I now know that I'll ask for nitrous even on the lower front teeth. That seemed to do the trick with the lower molars (that and 7 shots of LA :o ).

If I get really scared I'll go and get IV sedation for work done on lower teeth.
 
Back
Top