By Arthur Kezian
Even if you’re headed to the very best dentist you might be afraid of the needles and potential pain that are associated with your visit. Sadly, some things that are supposed to eliminate your pain — like dental anesthesia — can even hurt!
Luckily, a good dentist will have several techniques to make getting a dental anesthesia injection less painful, like:
1. Using numbing gel
A good Hollywood dentist will actually have anesthesia in a jar! It’s not strong enough to completely numb you for a root canal or to get a cavity filled, but it will numb the area where your anesthesia needs to be injected. All your dentist has to do is rub the gel over your gums and leave it on for a minute or so. Just like that, you’ll never feel the needle going in!
There are similar ingredients in sprays, creams, and patches, too. So, don’t panic if your dentist in Hollywood pulls out a spray bottle before doing anything else!
2. Using the sharpest needle possible
It may sound terrifying, but when you really think about it, it makes perfect sense. If your dental anesthesia needle is even a little bit dull, it will take more of a struggle to get it into your gum tissue. The result? Lots of pain!
3. Stretching the tissue at the injection site
If your dentist gently pulls on the area where your anesthesia needle is going to be inserted, it can actually make the injection less painful.
How is that possible?
Experts say putting some pressure on the area can actually block your nerves from telling each other that the needle hurts. If your nerves can’t “talk” to each other, you won’t feel any pain!
You may think your dentist is a genius for coming up with this technique, but it’s actually something you might do at home without even realizing it. The next time you bump your elbow and start rubbing it, you’re using the same basic principle!
4. Injecting the anesthesia slowly
Some dentists try to inject anesthesia very quickly, simply because they want to get the pain over as fast as possible. However, they actually wind up doing more harm than good in the process!
A good dentist knows that injections that are done too quickly and with too much force can actually tear your gum tissue. If that happens, you’re not just in pain for a few seconds; you’re sore long after the needle is gone!
Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777