April 23, 2003
Three doses of Novocain
During my last dental cleaning my dental hygienist noticed a hole had developed in one of my fillings. Yesterday I went in to see my dentist and have it fixed. It has been a long time since I sat in the dentist chair. As Dr. Price gave me a shot of Novocain I thought of mentioning to her that in past I have had to have extra shots before I am anesthetized, and then never fully. I decided to let the session go in case it was some error in the part of previous dentists that had caused problems. That was a mistake.
After letting the shot sit for a few minutes Dr. Price began drilling out the old filling and quickly hit a nerve. I squirmed. She stopped, asked how I was feeling and gave me a couple of extra shots. Her assistant handed me a magazine to read while the painkiller settled in. After a few minutes the doctor set to work again, and quickly got another yelp out of me. A bit surprised she stopped her drilling and again set to work administering Novocain. This time she gave me five short shots to specific parts around the gum. We sat for a few minutes more until I could feel the numbness up my cheek and through the gum line.
After being given what felt like as full a dose as I could get, Dr. Price set to work on the tooth again. This time it was a while before I again felt the pain. It was not as sharp or intense and it took longer to feel it, but there were definitely some uncomfortable moments through the procedure, specially as cold air came into the hole before it could be filled.
Now, I am left wondering why. Why is it that even with extra injections of Novocain placed in precise and strategic places by a professional I trust, my jaw could not be convinced to not feel any pain? I am 6?3? tall and presume most drug dozes will need to be increased to account for my size... but three doses of Novocain? Am I really that sensitive? Am I somehow immune to the stuff? I remember as a kid I used to have a very keen sense of hearing (headphones in high school took care of that) and I have always been very sensitive to smells and tastes. Is there any relationship? Is there a way to find out? I have asked a couple of doctors about this and had them look at me as if I were a dunce, but have yet to hear any answers.
seems to me like something to ask a natural health practicioner - naturopath or acupuncturist or something.
Posted by: Sara Koopman on April 24, 2003 11:47 AMI think they shave your head and kick you out if you mention the words 'naturopath' or 'acupuncturist' within the white lab coat 'we know best' word of Kaiser Permanente.
Posted by: Leopoldo on April 24, 2003 12:34 PMWell, being that I am more than a foot shorter than you and i STILL require at least 3 shots of novocaine around the tooth and 1 shot into the tooth (i kid you not!) when i get serious drilling done, i think it has more to do with the layout of your nerves in your teeth and gums.
Maybe the Dentists have been blowing smoke up my ass for years, but I have been told by several that I have an extra series of nerves in my mouth which is why dental work pains me so much...
I hate dentists. A LOT.
That is actually very good to know in the 'at least I am glad it is not just me' sort of way. I personally don't hate dentists, rather like the one I have right now. She is an awesome person, and her staff is all very friendly. I know whenever I visit they will great me with a happy smile and want to know what the latest news in my life is. I do hate the pain, but I don't know that there is much of anything that can be done about that.
Posted by: Leopoldo on April 30, 2003 03:04 PMNo joke, I have been shot 16 times in the hand when I had to get some stiches put in.
He shot me 8 times before sticking me, and it hurt quite a bit. A little shocked, he shot me 8 more times... I still felt it. Same thing when I had plastic surgery. Rediculous.
Posted by: Aaron on July 21, 2003 02:34 PMthat's weird. that's exactly what happened with me when I had to have my teeth drilled. I could still feel everything. I'm not normally a sucker for pain, but jeez. And the cold air and water thing nearly killed me. I also squirmed because ironically my dentist hit a nerve as well.
It's interesting to note that novacain works well, and just as it's supposed to in other places on my body. For instance, I got sugery done on my foot, and couldn't feel a thing. I thought about why that is and couldn't conclude much either.
Posted by: kitty on April 29, 2005 06:05 PM
