I had a tooth extracted. The first question I have is how normal is it for a tooth to require 12 shots of Novocain to get numb. Have you had this happen with a patient before? My second question is about what to expect post-operatively. I had a bone spur at the extraction site. It caused excruciating pain anytime my tongue hit it. He removed it but it took forever because it was hard to get to. Now there is this bony ridge. Is that a normal result of the bone spur or is something else going on?
Evan
Dear Evan,
While the difficulty getting numb can come from your dentist not hitting the right spot, twelve shots seem like an awful lot of times to miss. In all likelihood, it is a result of dental anxiety. Many dentists aren’t aware of this but when you have some anxiety, it burns off the numbing medication so quickly as to render it ineffective.
What your dentist could have done to help this situation would be to give you some nitrous oxide to relax you. This would enable your anxiety to calm down allowing the medication to do its thing. With some patients, their level of anxiety is so high that nitrous oxide will not be enough. Instead, they will need oral conscious sedation. This is much stronger but requires you to have someone drive you to and from your appointment.
If your dentist isn’t aware of this type of situation or doesn’t offer these services, then you will be better served to see a dentist who offers sedation options for people who experience dental anxiety.
As for the bony ridge, this is normal. Sharp edges can arise during the healing process. You don’t notice them as much at first because your swollen gum tissue is covering it. As the healing takes place, the gums shrink down and make it more prominent. Your dentist can smooth it over or clip it if it bothers you too much.
You haven’t mentioned anything about a tooth replacement. It will be important to replace any missing teeth. Otherwise, the nearby teeth will shift and tip into the open space, throwing off your bite. Aside from the aesthetic issues, this can lead to painful problems such as TMJ Disorder. I’m going to suggest you look at getting a dental implant. These are the best tooth replacement and are like having a healthy natural tooth in your mouth again.
This blog is brought to you by Sugarland Dentist Dr. Siny Thomas.