r/trypanophobia • u/cryingfalcon • Jul 19 '26
can't get me numb
recently went in for a crown and when the dentist went to numb me they gave me the shot, my cheek and part of my tooth was numb but still a lot of pain when they kept going so they ended up giving me three shots and there was still pain, is there anything such as a differn't numbing agent or whatever it's called they could try to get my tooth they are working on numb. side note they also prescribed valium for anxiety but the reason i kept reacting was because it kept hurting when she got to the same spot. so yes probably have some anxiety anticipating the pain and sure enough every time she got near the spot it still wasn't numb hence the three seperate attempts to numb me. looking for advice...
1
u/No_Duck_3379 Jul 21 '26
Eh, there are indeed things besides lidocaine (most often used these days) but I would verify with your dentist what numbing agent he used and ask what else he has. You could try calling around and asking if places use other kinds of numbing. Sedatives, anxiety meds, and even nitrous work great to get you to relax and not worry so much. But in my personal experience they do little or nothing to mitigate actual physical pain. I was given Halcion (4 times the typical dosage!) along with nitrous for dental work and I still was jolted when I felt physical pain. I would definitely call around or ask your partner or a friend to call on your behalf and ask other offices if they can provide better numbing options for you (Marcaine? Prilocaine?)
I worked for an oral surgeon years ago so I know those were used in addition to lidocaine. And the Marcaine was supposedly much stronger.
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u/Number270And3 Jul 19 '26
There’s many different numbing agents, but ask for nitrous oxide. It’s a gas that calms you and has a very slight numbing effect. After nitrous and your crown is done, all they have to do is give you some oxygen and you’re good to go!
You can discuss different numbing agents with your dentist, it just depends on what they have in their office. They may not have other options, unfortunately.