I had to have my very first cavity taken care of and it did not go well. I was nervous going in and now I don’t know if I can go back. He gave me seven different shots and still couldn’t get me numb. He refunded my money and said we’d try again in a week. Will that make it any better just waiting a week? I’ve never had a filling so I don’t really know what to expect.
Melanie
Dear Melanie,
No, just waiting a week will not change this, UNLESS the dentist changes something that he is doing. I have seen scenarios like this and I can tell you there is a solution. When a patient has trouble getting numb, it is often because they have dental anxiety. Many people don’t realize this, but dental anxiety can cause your metabolism to burn off your numbing medication. You mentioned you were nervous going in. That may have made it difficult for the numbing medicine to be fully effective. Then, when you felt pain as he started, your anxiety probably went through the roof, making it even harder to get numb.
Here is my recommendation. You need to find a dentist who offers dental sedation options. Under normal circumstances, just a little nitrous oxide would be enough to calm your nerves and enable the medication to do its job. However, given your last experience, and without any previous experiences to compare it to, my suggestion is you get oral conscious sedation.
This is administered by pill, but believe me when I tell you that pill is STRONG. So strong, in fact, that you will need someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment, as well as stay with you for a time afterward to ensure you are lucid and steady on your feet before you are left on your own. This will enable you to get that tooth taken care of without any pain and any anxiety. I want you to do this as soon as possible, because the earlier a cavity is dealt with, the less invasive the treatment procedure is. The longer you wait, the greater chance of it turning into a tooth infection, which is considered a dental emergency.
This blog is brought to you by West Seneca Dentist Dr. Carl Embury.
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