Inability to Become Numb at the Dentist

If you have a history of not being able to get numb for your dental procedure, The Dental Anesthesia Center is here to help.

Many people ignore or put off going to the dentist for different reasons. Some patients have severe anxiety or fear. Others have special needs such as Alzheimer’s or autism which make it difficult for them to get to the dentist. However, some patients have a unique circumstance, they have an inability to become numb.

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The Dental Anesthesia Center: Sedation and Sleep Dentistry

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Whitney S.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about The Dental Anesthesia Center and Dr. Thoms. My 7-year-old, who has autism, recently had dental work done here and the experience exceeded expectations. The staff was incredibly kind, patient, and understanding of his needs. They took the time to make him and us feel comfortable, never rushed, and explained everything. I am so grateful for this office and the team that made my son's dental care possible. I would recommend The Dental Anesthesia Center and Dr Thoms to any parent, especially those with children who have special needs. They truly go above and beyond. ❤️

Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your thoughtful review and kind words! We’re truly grateful for your trust in our team and Dr. Thoms. Knowing your visit was a positive and comfortable experience means the world to us — it’s exactly what we strive for with every patient and family. 💙

Joy H.

Very patient with elderly patients. Very good experience.

Response from the owner:Thank you for sharing your feedback! We’re pleased to know the visit was a positive experience.

Carla B.

My son has been a patient of Dr Michael Hoffman since he was 5 years old. He is now 21 years old. My son has diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and therefore I am cautious of who I select as a treatment provider. Dr. Hoffman’s office is professional, kind and I know they have his best interest at heart. I highly recommend Dr. Hoffman and staff to anyone seeking dental care.

Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and recommendation! We truly appreciate your trust in our team over the years.

Paul

Super experience. Gentle and empathetic. All round care is great. Staff are wonderful.

Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind review! We’re so glad you had a great experience with our team.

Nancy S.

We are forever grateful for Dr Hoffman and his wonderful staff for having the vision of how to get necessary dental work done for patients who are dealing with autism and cannot tolerate it without dental anesthesia. We have been taking our adult daughter there once a year for the last four years. Thanks to Dr Hoffman’s vast knowledge and expertise, our daughter has been able to get wisdom teeth removed, cavities filled, teeth cleaned and detailed X-rays to know exactly what needed done. The Dental Anesthesia Center is a great service to the community. Thank you so much for helping us.

Response from the owner:hank you so much for your thoughtful review and kind words about our team! We truly appreciate your trust in us and are honored to provide care in a way that helps make dental treatment more comfortable and accessible for all patients. Your feedback means a great deal to our entire staff.

3 Reasons You Can’t Get Numb

First, the fact is everyone is different. Just as some people react differently to medications, anesthetics are the same way. For some individuals, their body may remove the numbing agent from their system too quickly, making the numbness wear off faster than it should. This is the case when their vascular system removes the local anesthetic away from the tooth nerve quickly. This results in a person only be adequately numb for a very short period of time, or from not being able to get numb at all.

Second, although we all have what you might call standard anatomy, some individuals are different. This can be true of the way a person’s nerves are wired through their body. Some patients have extreme variability with the nerves going to their teeth. This is more often the case with lower molars.

Some patients may have 4 different nerves that lead to their lower molars. This means they may need as many as 4 different injections to get that area numb. If this has happened to you, it doesn’t mean that your dentist didn’t know what he or she is doing, it means that you are a little different than the usual patient and there is nothing wrong with that.

A third reason you may have difficulty getting numb is that you have what’s called a hot tooth. If you are experiencing severe pain in a specific tooth, it can be incredibly challenging to get that are numb. This is due to the fact that when a nerve becomes inflamed, such as with a large cavity, the nerve can actually change and become more much easily stimulated. This means more local anesthetic is needed to numb it.

St. Louis Special Needs Dentistry

If you have a history of not being able to get numb for your dental procedure, The Dental Anesthesia Center is here to help. There are many different levels of sedation that can be used to help you receive all of your dental care. The sedation method for an individual is determined on the patient’s medical history and current physical and mental health.

The levels of sedation include:

• Minimal Sedation
• Moderate Sedation
• Deep Sedation

When you come in for your appointment, Dr. Hoffmann, Dr.Thoms or Dr. Behl will decide which level is best for you. We look forward to meeting you!