Just ranting, really! Well, and a question...

[LoveKettle]

I'm going back to my private dentist regarding my lower right wisdom tooth, because my NHS dentist tried to take it out under local...3 injections, hardly any numbness at all. All the injections were agonisingly painful, and after 3 I went into shock...horrible experience. The dentist and her assistant were nice but I couldn't help feeling like it was quite...incompetent? It could have been done better? I guess some people are hard to numb, but injections (and that many) shouldn't have been so painful?

Anyway...so I'll see what the private one says, I'm perfectly willing to pay a lot of money to have it taken out, I just want it GONE, it annoys me virtually every day and I live in fear of a terrible infection.

Is it likely he'll be able to "numb me better" as he'll have more time etc? The NHS dentist was going to refer me to hospital to have it out under IV sedation. She said 2 months wait..um no, was just told its 22 weeks! No way, so its private for me.

If I'm under IV, why on earth would that make the LA work any better? Or is it something to do with the fact I'd be caring less so putting a few more injections in wouldn't bother me? How do they KNOW I'm numb/how do I signal that?

I really really really DON'T want a GA

 

[letsconnect]

Hi LoveKettle,
there are various theories as to why sedation may help with numbing. To quote from an older post:

1) You're more relaxed therefore your blood isn't pounding round your body at 200mph washing the local anaesthetic away faster than we can put it in
2) The more tense you are, the more likely you are to feel pain. Dunno why so don't ask
3) You're more co-operative so the dentist has less need to try to rush things and so won't hurt you by mistake.
4) The perception of pain appears to be altered, people seem to react to painful stimuli differently when they're sedated.

It may just be that the NHS dentist's inability to numb you was down to technique. When there is a raging infection, teeth can be harder to numb and a course of antibiotic may be given beforehand to ensure that you will be numb. However, your (private) dentist would be the best person to assess what the story is.

The perception of pain during injections very much depends on your dentist's technique. It sounds like the NHS dentist did a really bad job with them. I take it your experiences with your private dentist have been much better?

GA is rarely used these days as IV sedation has become so reliable .

 

[brit]

I'm with Letsconnect that it was probably poor technique...dentistry's like driving a car..you get better at it usually the longer you do it. Even if you were anxious and that was stopping the LA from working properly, the injections needn't have been so painful...so she doesn't sound like a dentist you should stick with to me.

Read this, so you can be well-informed about problems with numbing before seeing another dentist: https://www.dentalfearcentral.org/fears/not-numb/

 

[mikey]

How letsconnect said about being tense and feeling more pain, I think it is when your tense and expecting pain/ focusing more on the area has something to do with it.

 

[LoveKettle]

Thankyou people, that was reassuring!

Well luckily I hadn't de-registered with my private dentist, so I'm just back to him now. I just thought I'd try the NHS one because it was just over the road and I can't drive etc.

Well...

hang on, I'll make a separate question..