Advice: Find a dentist who uses a topical before the injection. You’ll barely feel it. Not sure why it’s rare, but it exists. Also, find a dentist who specializes in treating children, sensitive people, with special needs, dementia, or anxiety.
All of this is great advice. I live in the Boston area where doing this is pretty standard. After you're given the topical anesthetic, make sure that it feels like it's worked. After you have the novocaine, they should ask you whether has taken effect. The dentist should check this by gently touching the area before they start the treatment. You and the dentist should decide on how you can signal that you're in pain during the treatment,
especially because they may be able to give you more anesthetic. They should also ask you whether the novocaine is working, or still working during the treatment. Especially if it's a long procedure, you should tell them that you may need to take a break to rest your muscles or just to relax in general.
I would do whatever you need to make it through the procedure more comfortably.
I feel your pain, literally. I’ve been in a tone of pain for about two months now between a cracked molar, needing a crown, ending up needing a root canal, and severe pain and complications from it all… including severe jaw and ear pain (I had to see an ENT doc because of my ear pain and he said my jaw muscles are extremely inflamed from being stretched so far and often from all of the dental work and it’s causing my ear pain) all stemming from my molar being cracked and needing repair. I’m in pain every waking moment. I haven’t been able to chew on my left side for two months now. This has all been a complete nightmare.
You aren’t a baby for needing extra shots, wanting an hand to hold and having ptsd from past experiences. I cry like a baby every time I’m at the dentist now. Plus, my gyno told me that as we get older, it takes longer to heal and we can feel physical pain more intensely (gotta love hormones!).
I say we are the exact opposite of babies! We are scared, we know we are going to be in a lot of pain, and our pain will continue after the procedure and we suffer because of it all. Yet, we show up and lie down in the chair waiting for the pain to be delivered.
Even reading this made me cringe! Small mouth here too, despite what people say about me, but also braces and cavities and owww. My advice, given that I flunked my first attempt at getting an MRI, is a pre-op dose of something to ease the crippling anxiety. It’s ok to ask for help and tell the nurse she’s being insensitive. Maybe after the procedure is over though…
Oh Julie, I SOOOOO feel you! I've been terrified of the dentist since my first experience ... a fancy NYC pediatric dentist when I was 3. YES, 3. My parents claimed I had a crush on him (Dr. Green), but I have no memory of that. Fast forward many cavities, a couple root canals due to a broken front tooth at age 8, many novocaine shots (I'm a slow metabolizer, so request the short acting kind), and too many dental procedures to count later, and here I am at 67 still dreading every visit. What would I do? Request nitrous oxide. Yup. It seriously helps.
I was a baby also for many years but I’ve had a LOT of work done, including three implants. I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on dental care. I have very sensitive teeth so was very anxious whenever I sat in the dentist chair. My solution was to use gas at my appointments. It relaxed me enough so that my lower lip wasn’t constantly shaking or I wasn’t clenching my fists the whole time. It might be worth a try.
Advice: Find a dentist who uses a topical before the injection. You’ll barely feel it. Not sure why it’s rare, but it exists. Also, find a dentist who specializes in treating children, sensitive people, with special needs, dementia, or anxiety.
All of this is great advice. I live in the Boston area where doing this is pretty standard. After you're given the topical anesthetic, make sure that it feels like it's worked. After you have the novocaine, they should ask you whether has taken effect. The dentist should check this by gently touching the area before they start the treatment. You and the dentist should decide on how you can signal that you're in pain during the treatment,
especially because they may be able to give you more anesthetic. They should also ask you whether the novocaine is working, or still working during the treatment. Especially if it's a long procedure, you should tell them that you may need to take a break to rest your muscles or just to relax in general.
I would do whatever you need to make it through the procedure more comfortably.
I feel your pain, literally. I’ve been in a tone of pain for about two months now between a cracked molar, needing a crown, ending up needing a root canal, and severe pain and complications from it all… including severe jaw and ear pain (I had to see an ENT doc because of my ear pain and he said my jaw muscles are extremely inflamed from being stretched so far and often from all of the dental work and it’s causing my ear pain) all stemming from my molar being cracked and needing repair. I’m in pain every waking moment. I haven’t been able to chew on my left side for two months now. This has all been a complete nightmare.
You aren’t a baby for needing extra shots, wanting an hand to hold and having ptsd from past experiences. I cry like a baby every time I’m at the dentist now. Plus, my gyno told me that as we get older, it takes longer to heal and we can feel physical pain more intensely (gotta love hormones!).
I say we are the exact opposite of babies! We are scared, we know we are going to be in a lot of pain, and our pain will continue after the procedure and we suffer because of it all. Yet, we show up and lie down in the chair waiting for the pain to be delivered.
You are strong!!
Even reading this made me cringe! Small mouth here too, despite what people say about me, but also braces and cavities and owww. My advice, given that I flunked my first attempt at getting an MRI, is a pre-op dose of something to ease the crippling anxiety. It’s ok to ask for help and tell the nurse she’s being insensitive. Maybe after the procedure is over though…
Oh Julie, I SOOOOO feel you! I've been terrified of the dentist since my first experience ... a fancy NYC pediatric dentist when I was 3. YES, 3. My parents claimed I had a crush on him (Dr. Green), but I have no memory of that. Fast forward many cavities, a couple root canals due to a broken front tooth at age 8, many novocaine shots (I'm a slow metabolizer, so request the short acting kind), and too many dental procedures to count later, and here I am at 67 still dreading every visit. What would I do? Request nitrous oxide. Yup. It seriously helps.
I was a baby also for many years but I’ve had a LOT of work done, including three implants. I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on dental care. I have very sensitive teeth so was very anxious whenever I sat in the dentist chair. My solution was to use gas at my appointments. It relaxed me enough so that my lower lip wasn’t constantly shaking or I wasn’t clenching my fists the whole time. It might be worth a try.