Electric shock feeling with nerve block

[Patti]

I had 2 fillings today on right bottom molars. The dentist did a nerve block. The first two shots felt like I was being zapped in the tongue and bottom lip with an electrical current! I have never experienced anything like this before. My dentist said it was because it was close to a nerve. I had a tooth pulled inbetween those two teeth (#31) and didn't experience that with the shots (which was done by an oral surgeon because the tooth was close to a nerve) and had a nerve block on the opposite side of my jaw (left side) and didn't experience it then either. Why would I experience it now? Any thoughts?

My appointment was first thing this morning. Boy did that wake me up!!!

 

[carole]

Hi Patti, I hope apart from this you are fine.
Boy I know this feeling and it does make you jump, it goes right to your front teeth doesn't it, there are no lasting effects other than mental, I always cringe now since I got zapped like that. It is when they catch a nerve, I was told that'll make you good and numb and it did. It is more the shock than the pain, as it isn't that bad. But I nearly jumped out of the chair when it happened to me. They don't intend to do it, it is a whoops kinda injection.

How are you feeling now, you can bet Dr Bob won't do that again now he knows to miss that bit of your mouth when doing the block.

Do you just have to have the two roots out now? When do you go back ?

Well done to you for staying put, he should have explained it to you properly but no harm done.

 

[jellyfish]

The injection needs to go close to the nerve, but the dentist can't see where the nerve is, and anatomy is different for everyone, so sometimes the nerve gets zapped.

I have only had it happen once, but it was when I had paresthesia as a result (the numbness didn't wear off for four months and I had intractable shooting, tingling, and burning pain in my tongue). Usually paresthesia doesn't happen even if you do get zapped (and half the people who get paresthesia never feel a zap), and you would already know if you had it at this point, so don't worry.

If I ever get a shock from a block again, I am going to need at least five minutes to cry hysterically in the corner of the room...

 

[scaredjen]

Yes I had that when I had my tooth out he got the nerve straight away made me jump but after that it was ok cos I was numb anyway x

 

[Patti]

To all: yes, it was quite a zap. Once in my tongue with the first shot. Then in my lip with the second shot. I was numb right away (never felt the 2nd or 3rd shots at all) and no problems now afterwards. I'm just wondering (because I was sent to an oral surgeon to have a tooth pulled in the same area because they said the root was close to a nerve) if it is because the network of nerves in the lower right side of my jaw are not normal? I had no problem with the shots on the lower left. Or, was it just bad luck?

 

[Patti]

I will never have to stick my tongue in an electrical socket to know what it feels like now!

 

[jellyfish]

It is just bad luck!

The needle needs to get close enough to the nerve to make it numb, but not so close that it hits the nerve. Sometimes the dentist misses and the block doesn't work, other times the nerve gets jabbed.

eta: it is actually a bundle of nerves. One is the lingual nerve to your tongue, the other is the inferior alveolar nerve to your lip/jaw/cheek, they are right next to each other. Sounds like both of yours got zapped!

 

[Jmcgovern]

I am in the process of getting many (6) fillings done, and the dentist has hit a nerve a few times now. It is causing me anxiety about going back. It is like an electric shock mixed with an intense burn- and of course the uncontrollable body jerk hitting a nerve causes! This time, the pain from it made me gasp. I'm no wuss, this is completely new to me. I am getting more anxious about every visit. I like this dentist a lot, and I really hope it stops happening

 

[comfortdentist]

The injection needs to go close to the nerve, but the dentist can't see where the nerve is, and anatomy is different for everyone, so sometimes the nerve gets zapped.

I have only had it happen once, but it was when I had paresthesia as a result (the numbness didn't wear off for four months and I had intractable shooting, tingling, and burning pain in my tongue). Usually paresthesia doesn't happen even if you do get zapped (and half the people who get paresthesia never feel a zap), and you would already know if you had it at this point, so don't worry.

If I ever get a shock from a block again, I am going to need at least five minutes to cry hysterically in the corner of the room...

Yes that can happen but to stay numb for months is rare. I haven't seen it yet after 30 years of practice. I had one that was numb for about 2 weeks many years ago.
Do you know which drug was used?

 

[jellyfish]

Yes that can happen but to stay numb for months is rare. I haven't seen it yet after 30 years of practice. I had one that was numb for about 2 weeks many years ago.
Do you know which drug was used?

Septocaine. My endodontist (who gave the injection) said it had happened to 3 or 4 of his patients prior to me during his career, he has been in practice for 20+ years. I know the research is mixed, but I now have "2% lidocaine only for blocks" written in big red letters on all my record folders because I'm not taking any chances...

The numbness wasn't a big problem, but the pain (dysesthesia) was constant and intractable and nearly drove me insane. It was similar to the pain you get when you smash your funny bone really really hard, plus a sensation of intense cold to the point of burning. The worst of the pain lasted 4-5 weeks, then the intense cold and numbness slowly resolved over the next three months. My coworker's cousin had an injectional paresthesia also, his lasted 6 months, but I think he just had numbness without pain. I'm just glad mine wore off completely.

 

[comfortdentist]

there doesn't seem to be an agreement among dentists if septocaine (articaine) is an increased risk for the problem you had. Did you receive more than one injection?

 

[jellyfish]

I've read some of the different opinions online and some articles on paresthesias in available refereed journals - most of the studies were not that great, small sample size, etc. I only had a single injection, and felt the needle make contact with the nerve so it may have just been blunt trauma and nothing to do with the anesthetic. Extra bad luck for me that I had the dysesthesia and long recovery time.