Some treatments at a dentist’s office require using a local anesthetic to numb the area before they start working on the tooth. Although dental care providers go above and beyond to ensure a quick, comfortable, and pain-free procedure, some patients have more trouble getting numb than others. If you have a history of dental treatments during which local anesthetic failed to work, you might want to see a Short Pump sedation endodontist.

Factors Affecting Your Ability to Get Numb at the Dentist

Vitamin C

Consuming vitamin C changes your body’s pH balance, causing it to counteract dental anesthetics. For this reason, you’ll want to avoid drinking large glasses of orange juice or taking vitamin C supplements before your appointment. Conversely, getting vitamin C into your system after a dental appointment will help wear off the anesthetic’s numbing effects.

Genetics

Genetic factors can cause conditions that make it challenging to numb gum tissue. These factors include low pain tolerance and high resistance to anesthetics in the peripheral nervous system.

Additionally, it’s important to note that not everyone is built the same way. In some cases, the tooth’s nerve isn’t where it’s expected to be. For this reason, abnormal nerve location may get in the way of achieving optimum numbness in the treated area. When your nerves are in a different location than someone else, the local anesthetic that works for others won’t work for you.

Hot Tooth

A hot tooth is a painful tooth that won’t get numb due to overactive nerves. When nerves get overly excited, they develop more pain receptors that require more anesthetic agents. Unless the dentist administers more anesthetic, the nerves won’t calm, and even the most minor thing can send shooting zingers of pain.

You Flinched

If you move or flinch as the dentist tries to inject the local anesthetic into the nerve, the dentist may miss the nerve, and you won’t get numb. For this reason, it’s best to stay as still as possible when receiving local anesthesia.

Do You Need to See a Short Pump Sedation Endodontist?

At Commonwealth Endodontics, we ensure your comfort and safety while receiving top-quality endodontic care. Contact us today to make an appointment.