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How many injectons does it take to 'Numb' nerves in your mouth during dental work?

post #1 of 31
6/4/09 at 4:06am
Thread Starter 
I was at the dentists last week where I had a filling, and a Wisdom tooth (that had begun ti decay) removed. On both pieces of work it took between 4 and 5 injections of the anesthetic to get to a point where I would not feel the drilling or the subsequent extraction. Prior to that I was jumping out the chair each time he waived the drill or plyers around. The dentist's explanation was that we are all different (ie some take 1 injection others more) and that its not an exact science pinpointing every nerve as nerves are like branches and no two people will have them exactly in the same place nor do any two nerves have the exact sensitivity levels.

Since this procedure I have spoke to a few people and they thought that the 4-5 injection scenario was excessive and that the dentist must not know his anatomy properly. One was from a non medico and the other my GP.

Does the above sound right? or is there credence otherwise to the theory that the guy had no idea and was stabbing in the dark?

Any dentists out there?
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post #2 of 31
6/4/09 at 4:19am
I'm a dentist - this sounds relatively normal and entirely possible. I think I would have described the situation almost exactly as your dentist did. Out of curiosity, upper or lower? Also, an infected (especially if it is symptomatic) tooth is much harder to "freeze" than usual because of some reasons that I won't bother to go into tonight.
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post #3 of 31
6/4/09 at 9:30am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Notreknip View Post
I'm a dentist - this sounds relatively normal and entirely possible.

I think I would have described the situation almost exactly as your dentist did.

Out of curiosity, upper or lower?

Also, an infected (especially if it is symptomatic) tooth is much harder to "freeze" than usual because of some reasons that I won't bother to go into tonight.

Drilling and filling - Bottom Left. He drilled first with a fine drill and then pulled out the bigger one that sends vibrations across the face.

Wisdom Tooth - Top left. Each time he tried to pull it I felt a pain rip through up to the area under my cheek bone. Once he pulled it out I could see inside it a brown blob about the size of a matchhead.

He also mentioned that the lower jaw is harder for the anesthetic to penetrate due to the dense bone however it seemed in both cases(bottom and top) I required the same amount of injections.
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post #4 of 31
6/4/09 at 9:35am
4-5 is pretty common for me too. The guy can never believe that I can still feel what's going on.

I hate going to the dentist.
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post #5 of 31
6/4/09 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Star View Post
I was at the dentists last week where I had a filling, and a Wisdom tooth (that had begun ti decay) removed. On both pieces of work it took between 4 and 5 injections of the anesthetic to get to a point where I would not feel the drilling or the subsequent extraction. Prior to that I was jumping out the chair each time he waived the drill or plyers around. The dentist's explanation was that we are all different (ie some take 1 injection others more) and that its not an exact science pinpointing every nerve as nerves are like branches and no two people will have them exactly in the same place nor do any two nerves have the exact sensitivity levels.

Since this procedure I have spoke to a few people and they thought that the 4-5 injection scenario was excessive and that the dentist must not know his anatomy properly. One was from a non medico and the other my GP.

Does the above sound right? or is there credence otherwise to the theory that the guy had no idea and was stabbing in the dark?

Any dentists out there?

I lol'd. Everyone is always an expert.
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post #6 of 31
6/4/09 at 2:09pm
Yikes, and I thought I needed a lot of stuff to get numb. At least 2 shots per tooth. I JUST worked up the courage to go back to the dentist after a childhood of "YES I CAN STILL FEEL YOU BORING INTO MY TOOTH!"
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post #7 of 31
6/4/09 at 2:13pm
dont worry about the injections if your dentist is competent.


i go to a very competent and caring family dentist for over 15 years (he has been in practice for over 30 years) and would inject me with more if i find the effects wearing away (usually this happens when he has to go back and forth between several patients and i have to wait for certain time). so for him, it is not something calculated but more determined on the fly.
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post #8 of 31
6/4/09 at 2:29pm
I just recently had all four of my wisdom teeth taken out. The doctor gave me lots of shots, though I stopped counting after the fifth one. I didn't feel a thing during the extractions. For fillings, it's usually been about four to six shots per tooth. The more the better (unless your insurance isn't covering it).
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post #9 of 31
6/4/09 at 4:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Star View Post
Drilling and filling - Bottom Left. He drilled first with a fine drill and then pulled out the bigger one that sends vibrations across the face.

Wisdom Tooth - Top left. Each time he tried to pull it I felt a pain rip through up to the area under my cheek bone. Once he pulled it out I could see inside it a brown blob about the size of a matchhead.

He also mentioned that the lower jaw is harder for the anesthetic to penetrate due to the dense bone however it seemed in both cases(bottom and top) I required the same amount of injections.


the lower jaw is indeed more dense, and anesthetic does not diffuse/penetrate like it does on the upper.

another thing is different people metabolize the anesthetic at different rates. most times, patients will be fine with a carpule or two of anesthetic, whereas someone who breaks down the anesthetic quicker will of course need more.

everything sounds normal. i'm sure you're in great hands.
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post #10 of 31
6/4/09 at 4:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by robin View Post
For fillings, it's usually been about four to six shots per tooth. The more the better (unless your insurance isn't covering it).



that is alot. my dentist just gives me one shot per filling tooth.
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post #11 of 31
6/6/09 at 9:35am
If the objective is met then no need for more shots.
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post #12 of 31
6/6/09 at 6:13pm
Last filling I got I needed like 10 injections because he couldn't find this one nerve that was hurting like a bitch when he drilled, and he never did (nerve interpolation or something, he said?) so I had to man it out for a bit.
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post #13 of 31
6/6/09 at 9:07pm
Two years ago, I had a filling reworked in my lower right hand molar. My dentist didn't get the shot the first time, so she gave me more local anesthetic. That second shot nicked my lingual nerve, which resulted in my right half of my tongue to be numb, then tingly, then 90% of what it used to be, after 4 months of recovery.
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post #14 of 31
6/7/09 at 1:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kodiak View Post
Last filling I got I needed like 10 injections because he couldn't find this one nerve that was hurting like a bitch when he drilled, and he never did (nerve interpolation or something, he said?) so I had to man it out for a bit.

This does happen, but rarely.

Quote:
Originally Posted by HORNS View Post
Two years ago, I had a filling reworked in my lower right hand molar. My dentist didn't get the shot the first time, so she gave me more local anesthetic. That second shot nicked my lingual nerve, which resulted in my right half of my tongue to be numb, then tingly, then 90% of what it used to be, after 4 months of recovery.

This happens too; thankfully it is even more rare.


...anyway, I thought this thread was dead. Some spammer brought it back?
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post #15 of 31
6/7/09 at 9:01am
For my crown work I had, I think, two shots. I could still feel a bit, but no pain, so off we went.

For my one root canal, I think I must have had some 10 shots or so: my face was numb from my left eyebrow to the right corner of my jaw.
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