It seriously took over twelve shots to get me numb for a single tooth extraction. It was a miserable experience. Now, I’ve got this sharp bone place where the tooth was. Did my dentist do something wrong? After my experience in the office, I have sort of lost confidence in his abilities.

Heather

Dear Heather,

Let’s start with the shots. While it is possible your dentist kept missing the injection site, doing it that many times would be unlikely. I’m pretty sure he’d have a reputation on YELP or Google Reviews by now if it took that many tries with all his patients. The more likely thing is an issue many dentists don’t realize are connected — dental anxiety and Novocain.

It is normal to feel a tad nervous at the dentist’s office, especially when you need more than a cleaning and checkup. For some, though, their anxiety level rises to the point that their metabolism kicks in to help with fight or flight. When that happens, the Novocain either becomes less effective or burns off too quickly.

Even though, your dentist may not have done anything wrong here it sounds like he may not be the right dentist for your situation. Instead, I would look for someone who offers dental sedation options. There are several levels of sedation, depending on your level of anxiety. This will allow you to have a stress-free and pain-free dental appointment. Many patients who have avoided the dentist for years find that it completely changes their life.

The Bony Ridge

Believe it or not, this is normal. when your tooth was first extracted the socket had a sharp edge to it. You didn’t notice the edge because your gums were covering it. Now that the extraction site is healing, it’s shrinking down and is visible. If it becomes an issue, your dentist can clip it.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.