[TinyBabyBean]

I started wondering about this after talking to my mom. My oldest says she can still feel most everything they do even though she has been given novacaine. My 4 year old claims this also. My 6 year old does not feel a thing.

What made me wonder after talking to my mom is because she said she needed 14 shots of novacaine recently until she could feel no pain. I then remembered that when I last had my teeth worked on when I was 14 it took 4 shots of novacaine and I could still feel it but they didn't believe me. Just turned up the gas.

I shudder to think my little 4 year old daughter still felt the dental work she had done. 5 extractions and a junior root canal!!! I am sure she is not lying. She says it hurt. As sort of proof- the two cleanings she had at dentists prior to the work were a breeze. No crying, etc.

Is it possible it is not effective or as effective for some people?

 

[Smilemomma]

 

[Song of Joy]

My dentist must have bad aim, then.

It took him 4 shots to numb me for 2 molar cavities last week.

I told dh one shot must have hit my brain, I was so groggy afterward! (Or it could have been the little sleep, lots of night nursing and early appt., who knows..... :LOL ) I ended up being numb up to my cheek bone and nostril. At least it didn't hurt this time. Last fall, I had 2 fillings and was in much discomfort during the bottom filling.

:

 

[littleaugustbaby]

A couple of years ago, one of my wisdom teeth became badly infected. After a week of antibiotics to clear up the infection, the dentist told me that he would be able to extract the tooth using just novocaine, which was much cheaper, quicker, and easier than being put under. I agreed, and he probably gave me around 10 shots, and each time I swore I still wasn't numb. He didn't beleive me and he attempted to pull the tooth anyway...when I screamed and bit him, I think he finally believed that I wasn't numb. He sent me home with some painkillers and a referral to an oral surgeon.

He told me that it was probably still too infected to get the area numb. I've had lots of major dental work, and I've never had any problems getting numb, except for that one time.

 

[EFmom]

I've had lots of dental work done over the years, by a number of different dentists. I always feel everything despite the novocaine, even after getting additional shots. My lips and gums feel numb, but I still feel a great deal of pain from the drilling.

 

[~Kindred Spirit~]

Quote:

such as a severe local infection, where the infection/pus can "cancel out" the anesthesia practically as soon as you get it in there

My ds had his top four teeth removed and had a really bad infection...I was so upset because he seemed to feel so much pain!!!!!!!!!!! Now I know why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was so angry at the dentist too....I never said anything though....

 

[TinyBabyBean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Kindred Spirit~ My ds had his top four teeth removed and had a really bad infection...I was so upset because he seemed to feel so much pain!!!!!!!!!!! Now I know why!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so angry at the dentist too....I never said anything though....

That makes so much sense! Xylena had an infection each time they did an extraction and that one day when they extracted 4 I am sure she still had an infection and I wish I had known that it could cancel the effects of the novacaine. Because then I would have waited and tried to clear up the infection first. I am sure that was soooo painful for her and it hurts my heart to even think of how she felt.

It sounds like your son had the same top four removed too. I am so sorry. Why don't we learn some of this stuff beforehand!?!! Or why don't they tell us?!

 

[~Kindred Spirit~]

Quote:

Why don't we learn some of this stuff beforehand!?!! Or why don't they tell us?!

No kidding!!!!!!!!!

When my ds had the needles given before the surgery they bled SO much.....just the needles alone were very upsetting for him and us!!!!!!

I asked the doctor if he was supposed to be bleeding so much...he said it was due to the infection.....

When his very first tooth was extracted he screamed in pain and began yelling, "Ouch!"....I said to the doctor, "He is feeling this!!!!!!!"!! The doctor gave him another needle...and the same thing happened....my ds calmed down..but, as soon as he grabbed the second tooth to yank and he yanked my ds screamed, "Ouch" again....he did it all with all four of them....by the time the fourth was ready to be pulled it was obvious to EVERYONE that he was feeling it all....the dentist looked at me and said, "Whatever amount of pain he is feeling it isn't any worse that the pain the infection has been causing".....which does make sense...and is true....but, STILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My ds wanted nothing to do with my me or my dh and actually wanted us to get away from him....he was so ANGRY at us!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thankfully, after sleeping for a bit...after an hour of trying to calm him down...he was back to his old self again!

I can't even imagine the pain he felt...

Your right though....they should have told us, kwim?