Scared Of Numbing Feeling?

[jimmyc]

I have a phobia of the dentist and I require multiple extractions. My main fear is the "numbing sensation". I have lots of trouble with loss of control as It is a major problem in my generalized anxiety disorder.

It has came to the point where my teeth are the burden of my life and I know they need to be fixed. My first appointment will involve removing one tooth which is the 5th tooth from the left sort of just to the side of my upper jaw.

I have read that the numbing sensation is not as serious on the top teeth as It is on the bottom and I would really appreciate It if someone could elaborate on this.

Will my tounge/nose/eyes be okay? - Will it just be the tooth and some of the surrounding gum? Or will other areas be affected aswel?

Thanks allot!

 

[brit]

You should discuss minimising the numbing (single tooth anaesthesia rather than a block maybe?) with your dentist but there's also some info here:

Fear of Feeling Numb

Are you scared of the numb feeling you get from local anaesthetic injections at the dentist's? This page provides lots of practical tips and advice!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Incidentally, I have never noticed anything other than my mouth and jaw being numb _ I've never noticed it affecting my nose for instance and have had quite a few recent dental injections.

Remember what being numb saves you from...i.e pain and maybe it won't seem such a bad thing after all.
People who have had their teeth drilled against their will with no LA (such as me lol) in childhood rarely fear injections or numbing but some of us like the injections to be painfree as well - we're the really fussy types maybe!

Loss of control is another area where most everyone has concerns unless there is a massive amount of trust between you and the person treating you, again there are some simple techniques to make you feel more in control of your care which help a lot:

Feeling Powerless (Loss of Control)

Feelings of helplessness and lack of control are very common when visiting the dentist. Find out how you and your dentist can put you in control.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[jimmyc]

So there is no difference between upper and lower numbing they are both block injections?

 

[brit]

So there is no difference between upper and lower numbing they are both block injections?

No upper is just infiltration (injected alongside the actual tooth). Block should only numb one quarter of your mouth anyway unless the dentist is doing work on more than one quadrant at the same appointment. With your fear, it would be best to work in a single quadrant only per appt and that's the norm for patient comfort anyway at every dentist I have ever seen.

Discuss it with your dentist then they can try a minimal approach.
There's also a product on the market which reverses the numbing effect more quickly after treatment called Oraverse.