Why did my lower molar refuse to get numb?

[Way2scared]

I had a lower molar go bad a month ago. I paced the floor on and off for a month while I waited for an appointment at the dental college. Turns out they didn't have time to pull it, so a week later I went to a general dentist who said that even though I finished a script of amox, I still needed cleocin as the tooth was infected.

Finished all my meds and when he gave me the numb shots they didn't really work. I noticed after the first set that the tooth started hurting a little like the toothache I had been having. After second set he wiggled the tooth and I could tell deep inside the tooth was still sore. So he drilled a hole while I screamed and cussed like a sailor, I was so embarrassed afterwards. I'm telling you it was all I could do to keep from socking him in the jaw, it hurt so very bad till he shot the nerve directly.

After all of this terrible pain he took the clamp and went " bing" and it was over. Thank God it was over. My jaw is still very soar and now I would like to know why this happened? I have had many root canals and way too many fillings. Every other time I had pullers I was a sleep. Is this my only option? Will I need to be knocked out for every tooth I need pulled? No one should experience this pain! It was traumatic and even the next day I cried at the drop of a hat from the trauma. I was so saddened by this experience and my hubby said the dentist didn't look like he was enjoying it either. He said he was shaking. Lol

Thanks for listening to me whine lol
Way2scared

 

[clermont]

Sorry to hear of your bad experience.


Ive been there done that. Got the book, video and tshirt.

For whatever reason the infection was still there. Maybe youve grown resistant to antibotics?


If you still had a infection that would explain why you almost jumped out of the chair when he started to drill. I guess by "wiggling" the tooth the dentist thought it was numb because "After second set he wiggled the tooth and I could tell deep inside the tooth was still sore" somewhere there was a communication gap between you and the dentist.

Just hearing that story had me shaking too.

Clermont

 

[brit]

Infection for sure but it sounds like the dentist only knew one other extreme technique for dealing with the situation (injection directly into pulp) - you did not say that he repeatedly numbed you up at all or tried to numb around the tooth in multiple places etc etc .
If infection is present it takes a lot more anaesthetic than normal to get the tooth numb so if he only gave you a normal amount, it was never looking like it would work. There are also stronger anaesthetic types.

I personally could not cope with what you described and would have stopped the dentist and opted for sedation. It doesn't sound like you were given much control though - agree a stop signal for next time with a different dentist. I wouldn't go back there.

Sorry you had to experience that: https://www.dentalfearcentral.org/fears/not-numb/

Getting there at an earlier stage in the toothache cycle would hopefully avoid this in future but given the inadequate anaesthesia, you should have been given the option to rethink and get sedation. Sounds like you were ambushed somewhat...there are consent issues here which are being overlooked....

 

[Way2scared]

He did numbing meds and left saying it would take 15 minutes then returned and shot me again. Hubby said he saw him use 4 tubes of LA. He wiggled and I could feel the ache. So then he told me to hang on for hole drilling or hang on for a yank with no more meds. I picked more shots which hit like all get out but then it went numb and the extraction was fast.

Been two days and the sites is still very sore o's that okay?

 

[brit]

So then he told me to hang on for hole drilling or hang on for a yank with no more meds. I picked more shots which hit like all get out but then it went numb and the extraction was fast.

Been two days and the sites is still very sore o's that okay?

So you consented to that? lol....not really...you were between a rock and a hard place. I suppose you should be grateful it was numb (after the pulpal shot) when it was actually pulled...others haven't been so lucky.
I think you need to protect yourself from this kind of treatment in future.

The reason it is in his 'business interest' to consider having you sedated (maybe on emergency basis by an oral surgeon if he doesn't do it) rather than letting you choose between a lot of pain and slightly less pain....is that you are now free to tell all your friends and neighbours and folk on the internet all about your bad experience at his office.

It's in your interest to avoid a repeat since it is unlikely to cure you of your dental phobia and could trigger more avoidance behaviour. Sorry once again this happened to you.

 

[Way2scared]

Thank you, I feel a little better today. I had a big fat panic attack yesterday like I'm having post traumatic trauma. This is just par for the course as I do suffer from panic but haven't had an attack in six years till this toothache lol but I'm still alive.

Thanks for the replys and thanks to the folks that made this fourm. Lots of great Info here.

 

[fullmoon]

When I had my root canal recently the dentist had to work quite a bit to get me numb. He explained to me that I had a very large abscess and that the infection neutralizes the anaesthetic so it's more a challenge. I believe in my case after four (I think) shots to the normal locations he also injected some between the gum and the tooth, although I'm not totally positive about the location because I couldn't see what he was doing. In any case that last injection that he did (which I didn't feel at all btw) worked perfectly as the tooth was completely numb from that point on, with the exception of the slightest aching sensation as he filed the roots.

 

[Way2scared]

I know what you mean moony. I had a RC on the opposite side same tooth and I told this dentist that it hurt during the procedure and he had to shoot the pulp half way through the canal.I jumped when he hit a nerve that wasn't numb. Afterwards he said it had pulpitis and this bad tooth I had pulled hurt in the very same way. A bad sharp pain that I cannot describe. It was worse than both ce sections put together!

I guess this is something that is going to reoccur so I'm gonna do a lot of looking and talking to a new dentist before I get back in the chair. Lol