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Is it normal for my teeth to be sensitive to cold while the dentist is doing a filling?
In general, my teeth are pretty sensitive to cold foods. Once a few years ago while I was getting a filling, I was in extreme pain the whole time, not from the drilling or the nerve or anything, but because of the freezing cold air the assistant was blowing on my tooth. I had had many fillings prior to that, and none of them were ever that painful, or even very unpleasant. A family friend of mine is also a dentist, so I asked him about this. (He is not MY dentist... This was at his home just during a casual conversation.) He said a patient should never feel any sensitivity to cold when they're getting a filling, and that if I ever do, I should tell the dentist I need more novocaine. Since then, I always insist on an extra shot.
Well, today I had a filling done on a different tooth, and even with the extra shot of novocaine, I could still feel the cold. It wasn't as bad as that last time I mentioned above (that was awful- the worst I've ever experienced), but it still was not fun having my tooth constantly blasted with cold air. When I asked my dentist about this, he said it is normal to still feel sensitivity to the cold air even with the novocaine. Is he right? Whenever I try to stand up for myself and insist something hurts, he always acts like it should be no big deal, it's normal... kind of a "yeah, that happens" attitude. I hate it.
So, who should I believe? Is it true that more novocaine would help with the cold? Can you feel the cold during a filling? And what is the purpose of constantly blowing the freezing cold air on the tooth during a filling?
If you have receding gums it's very likely that one of the other teeth close to the one he's working on, is feeling the sensitivity. You say you've had "many" fillings prior to one from a few years ago, and you had another one yesterday. You should probably ask your dentist why he feels this is normal. Maybe he knows your history better and knows that you are likely to experience sensitivity in your other teeth, because your teeth are all in bad shape or your gums have receded so much that it's normal and even expected that you'll have sensitive teeth.
It's not normal for people with -healthy- teeth and gums to feel sensitivity on or very close to a numbed tooth being worked on. Given your admitted history though, it might very well be normal in your situation.
The air isn't freezing cold by the way. And they blow it to keep the tooth dry while they work on it.
Maybe he knows your history better and knows that you are likely to experience sensitivity in your other teeth, because your teeth are all in bad shape or your gums have receded so much that it's normal and even expected that you'll have sensitive teeth.
To be honest, I don't think he listens very well because whenever I ask questions or make comments, he blows them off like it's not a big deal. I had one dentist my entire life up until a few years ago when he retired and was replaced by this guy. And ever since then, I've had bad experiences with getting fillings, and just going to the dentist in general.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick
It's not normal for people with -healthy- teeth and gums to feel sensitivity on or very close to a numbed tooth being worked on. Given your admitted history though, it might very well be normal in your situation.
Do you think that if I CAN feel sensitivity during a filling, more novocaine would do the trick? I mean I don't want to overdo the drugs or anything. Or is it just an unfortunate effect of having sensitive teeth?
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick
The air isn't freezing cold by the way. And they blow it to keep the tooth dry while they work on it.
Good to know. I always thought it was freezing cold. Goes to show how sensitive my teeth are, I guess! And I figured there was a reason for the air, just didn't know why it had to be cold. Now I know. Thanks!
I don't know if it's normal to feel anything at all once the lidocaine is administered and given a few minutes to settle into the gum tissue. If he's only injecting on the front of the tooth, you could ask him to inject -also- behind it. Just be warned, the gum behind your tooth is a LOT more sensitive to pain than the gum in front, so the shot itself and the "spark" of heat you feel when he pushes the plunger will be more severe than the front shots are. It doesn't last any longer, but you'll definitely wince for that 3-second period.
I always only had the front shots, until one time when I needed a root canal on a tooth in a particularly inflamed area. The dentist touched the tooth with a tiny bit of cotton that had been dipped in dry ice solution, to test sensitivity (that's a common test). When he saw that I still hadn't numbed up enough yet, he added a shot behind the tooth. That did the trick. So that's what I'd suggest you ask your doctor for next time. That would be in addition to the front shots, not instead of them!
Once the front and back are sufficiently numbed, you shouldn't feel anything at all.
I don't know if it's normal to feel anything at all once the lidocaine is administered and given a few minutes to settle into the gum tissue. If he's only injecting on the front of the tooth, you could ask him to inject -also- behind it. Just be warned, the gum behind your tooth is a LOT more sensitive to pain than the gum in front, so the shot itself and the "spark" of heat you feel when he pushes the plunger will be more severe than the front shots are. It doesn't last any longer, but you'll definitely wince for that 3-second period.
I always only had the front shots, until one time when I needed a root canal on a tooth in a particularly inflamed area. The dentist touched the tooth with a tiny bit of cotton that had been dipped in dry ice solution, to test sensitivity (that's a common test). When he saw that I still hadn't numbed up enough yet, he added a shot behind the tooth. That did the trick. So that's what I'd suggest you ask your doctor for next time. That would be in addition to the front shots, not instead of them!
Once the front and back are sufficiently numbed, you shouldn't feel anything at all.
Thanks! This reminds me of a filling I got once just behind one of my front teeth. It seemed like a really strange place to need a filling, but I figured it would be no big deal. The numbing shot was soooo uncomfortable. I'm wondering now if maybe that was because the shot was injected behind the tooth, like you said. Not sure, but ever since then I've been sure to pay extra extra extra attention to those teeth when brushing, only because I never want to have to deal with that kind of injection again! I assumed it was because of the location of the tooth, not the location of the shot. Maybe I'll never know, but I guess if I've lived through it once I can live through it again. There are definitely more painful things that could happen.
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