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5 Reasons You Can’t Get Numb at The Dentist

added on: April 18, 2017

At our dental office in Chapel Hill, we always want to ensure our patients’ comfort. One of the ways we do that is by numbing the area we need to work on before we begin treatment. But sometimes we encounter someone who has difficulty getting numb. Why is that? We have some possible explanations.

Hot Tooth

Having a ‘hot tooth’ is a dentist’s way of saying your struggle to get numb may be caused by a particularly painful tooth. When a tooth is causing you a lot of pain, your nerves change. They can either become overactive, therefore needing more anesthetic to calm it down, or they can actually develop additional pain receptors. More nerves means the need for more numbing agent.

Movement During Administration

We understand the thought of getting a shot of anything isn’t very pleasant, especially when that injection is going into your gums. But it’s really important that you try really hard to stay really still. If you squirm or jerk away suddenly, your dentist in Chapel Hill can miss the nerve, requiring additional injections to get properly numb.

Missed Target

While we all like to think we hit the bullseye 100% of the time, the truth is, we’re human. Unfortunately, sometimes that means we miss the target. Most dentist are trained so well that they hit their mark the majority of the time. But if you aren’t getting numb, we may recommend taking another try.

Your Body

Everyone is different, and just like how some people react differently to medications, anesthetics can do the same thing. Sometimes your body removes the numbing agent from your system too quickly, making the numbness wear off faster than we’d like. Other times, your body’s removal process is lightning fast, meaning you may not get numb at all.

If you have a history of being unable to get numb prior to a dental procedure, try to relax before your visit to our Chapel Hill dental office. We’re here to help ease any concerns you may have and we’ll do whatever we can to help keep you comfortable throughout your visit.

Welcoming new patients from Chapel Hill, Durham, Pittsboro and the surrounding areas. 

About The Author
Dr. Bilal Saib

Dr. Bilal Saib is a leader in the dental community with over 20 years of experience in cosmetic, restorative, and general dentistry. He has served as President of the Durham-Orange County Dental Society and is on the Board of Advisors for the Seattle Study Club and NuImage Advanced Education Center. Dr. Saib is a recognized local and international lecturer, who was named America’s Top Dentist in Cosmetic and Reconstructive Dentistry.

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