Do You Have Difficulty Getting Numb at the Dentist?

Whatever your situation or concern, we work hard to make you feel at ease by providing exceptional patient care in a relaxed, convenient atmosphere.

If you have difficulty getting numb for a dental procedure, you are not alone. We often encounter patients who have difficulty getting numb, and we are here to help. At our dental office, we want to ensure your comfort. Whatever your situation or concern, we work hard to make you feel at ease by providing exceptional patient care in a relaxed, convenient atmosphere.

Do not let a past unpleasant dental experience keep you from getting the dental care you need.

Why You Can’t Get Numb

There are a few reasons why a patient may have had a past experience of not being able to get numb. Some of the possibilities include:

• Hot Tooth – A “hot tooth” is a term used to describe a painful tooth that can’t get numb. If you have a tooth that is in a lot of pain, your nerves can change. They can become overactive and may need more anesthetic to calm it down. Or, a painful tooth can develop additional pain receptors which can mean they need more numbing agents.

• Movement during the injection – It is hard to get a shot because let’s face it, it isn’t very pleasant. But it is really important to stay as still as you possibly can when getting a shot for a dental treatment. If you squirm or jerk away, your dentist may miss the nerve which will require additional injections to get properly numb.

• Missed the Nerve – While it would be nice to hit the bullseye 100% of the time, the truth is, it isn’t always humanly possible. Dentists are trained so well that they do hit the target a majority of the time. But if you didn’t get numb on your last visit, it was likely just bad luck, and you should give it another try.

• Everyone is different – It’s similar to how some people react differently to certain medications. There are cases where a person’s body removes the numbing agent too quickly from their system, making the numbness wear off faster than anticipated.

If you have had trouble in the past getting numb, don’t give up. At The Dental Anesthesia Center, we provide care to individuals who are severely anxious, have difficulty getting numb, have a severe gag reflex, have special needs, and patients who are unable to cooperate, such as young children.