Stacey A.
Dear Stacey,
When someone has a high resistance to Novocain, it is usually a sign that they have dental anxiety. This is a common issue, but the devastation it brings to those who have to deal with it are rather serious. The good news is that there is a solution for what you are dealing with.
The anxiety will cause your metabolic system to kick into overdrive. When that happens, your body will burn off the medication you’ve been given faster than it would under normal circumstances. This is why you are having a hard time with the Novocain working for you. The solution is for you to relax enough so that the medication stays in your system long enough to do its job.
I know. You’re probably laughing right now. Relax? At the dentist? Sure. That’s likely.
So, here is that good news which I promised earlier. If you see a sedation dentist, they can provide you with a medication that can relax you enough for your medication to work. Unless you are having major work done, I would start with the lowest level of sedation—nitrous oxide.
It sounds like you need a lot of work done at the moment. In that case, I would do something a bit stronger, such as oral conscious sedation. this is sometimes called sleep dentistry because it is so strong that you can sleep right through the procedure if you want to.
This will allow you to catch up on all of your oral healthcare. You will no longer be going from one dental emergency to another.
This blog is brought to you by West Seneca Dentist Dr. Carl Embury.
