I need some help and advice. I went to my dentist for a root canal treatment. I have heard nightmarish stories about this procedure, so I will admit I was nervous going in. The experience itself made it much worse. Though my dentist tried his best, he could not get me numb. He gave up after eleven shots because we both felt that was torture enough. He refunded my money and said he would get back to me because he’s never encountered this. He did provide me with an antibiotic to keep things at bay until he figured it out. Have you encountered this before? I’d love to get this procedure over with.
Dennie
Dear Dennie,
I am glad you wrote. Believe it or not, I have seen this before and I think I know the perfect solution for you. There are quite a few dentists who are still not aware of the connection between dental anxiety and the ability to get numb. When you are anxious, your metabolism responds by amping up. This burns off the numbing medication before it can take affect. You are left stuck and in pain.
My recommendation is that you see a sedation dentist to have your work done. They all vary in the levels of sedation they offer but you will find that all of them offer nitrous oxide. This is probably just what you need. It is administered by a nose piece. You simplty lay back, relax and breath. It will provide you with nitrous oxide. This is sometimes called “Laughing gas”.
Its purpose is to relaax you enough to where your numbing medication will work. The great news is that it is easy to reverse as well. This means that as soon as your porcedure is over, your dentist can switch the gas from nitrous to oxygen. This will enable you to get straight back to your day as soon as the procedure is over.
I hope this helps you. Inform your current dentist so he will learn about the connection, but I suggest you go to an experienced sedation dentist for your procedure. This will ensure you are in the best hands possible and should put you more at ease.
This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Drs. Murphree and Yount.