Dental nerve block X3 and still not numb? (teeth, gums, pain)

[2sleepy]

I had an old bridge replaced, first go round the dentist took regular impressions and sent them off to a lab, he wasn't happy with the results so they gave me another appt. I thought that he had sent it back to the lab but no...I walk in and he says "we're going to start from scratch, I need to laser your gums".

Th bridge abutments are 30 & 32. He does a nerve block comes back and asks if I am numb I said "I think so" he starts in with his laser and when he uses it at the back side of 32 it felt like someone was dumping molten lava into my mouth. He stopped and did another block- same thing. He quits again and I hear him telling the assistant that the lingual nerve isn't numb, so he gives me another injection and starts lasing again, it was better than before but there was still one area that was incredibly painful, he stopped but I told him to just go ahead and finish which he did. He then used his cerec camera and said he was going to make the bridge himself.

I like this dentist, he gets good reviews, but what the heck could have happened? If he doesn't know how to properly inject anesthetic I don't want to go back.

[bart0323]

Unfortunately, it happens. Every person is different and every tooth within that person's mouth is also different. When you give a block, you are delivering anesthetic to the main nerve branch which is then supposed to work its way down to all the tiny accessory branches. Sometimes it takes a while or does not happen at all depending on the anatomy of the patient's nerves. It's really frustrating for both the patient and the dentist. I wouldn't jump the gun about the dentist's anesthetic techniques just yet. I give standard injection techniques and it is amazing how some people will get completely numb while others won't. Heck, I had a guy last week that was so numb you could have sawed his jaw off, but in one tiny spot around one of his teeth he was super sensitive. Dentists HATE it when patients can't get numb. Believe it or not, dentists don't like causing pain and it stresses them out knowing that you are in pain from the procedure.


If this becomes a common occurrence that you experience only at this particular dentist, then perhaps it could be more with the doctor's technique.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by bart0323

Unfortunately, it happens. Every person is different and every tooth within that person's mouth is also different. When you give a block, you are delivering anesthetic to the main nerve branch which is then supposed to work its way down to all the tiny accessory branches. Sometimes it takes a while or does not happen at all depending on the anatomy of the patient's nerves. It's really frustrating for both the patient and the dentist. I wouldn't jump the gun about the dentist's anesthetic techniques just yet. I give standard injection techniques and it is amazing how some people will get completely numb while others won't. Heck, I had a guy last week that was so numb you could have sawed his jaw off, but in one tiny spot around one of his teeth he was super sensitive. Dentists HATE it when patients can't get numb. Believe it or not, dentists don't like causing pain and it stresses them out knowing that you are in pain from the procedure.

If this becomes a common occurrence that you experience only at this particular dentist, then perhaps it could be more with the doctor's technique.

Thank you, that's exactly what I needed to know.

[toofache32]

Probably the nerve to the mylohyoid. That's the next one I usually go after in this situation and usually works.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by toofache32

Probably the nerve to the mylohyoid. That's the next one I usually go after in this situation and usually works.

I just wish he'd hit me in the head and knocked me out geezus...