I once went to the dentist for a tooth that hurt whenever I bit down. I thought maybe I had a cavity but it turns out my upper teeth are super sharp, like shark teeth, and they were wearing down my lower teeth. The dentist said she could fix this by smoothing the jagged edges of my top molars.
"Smoothing," she said, "can be done without anesthesia."
Note: Whenever someone enters your mouth with a drill, you should not be able to feel anything on that side of your face.
She tried to reassure me that she would be gentle and that she was working very "conservatively." Then she pressed the drill lightly against the first tooth and I almost flew out of the chair.
Mercifully, she noticed and immediately stopped.
"Mmm, ok. We'll use a little anesthetic to dull the sensation," she said.
Note: dental pain should not be "dulled." It needs to be "slain."
She reentered my mouth with the drill but the anesthetic hadn't kicked in yet.
Note: If you can move your tongue, you're not numb enough. Your face has to be, as a famous comedian has said, sliding off your skull.
"Hmmm," she said, "maybe we need some more anesthetic."
Note: If they have NOT numbed the area sufficiently, I don't care if they only intend to "gently smooth" your teeth. Teeth are as hard as diamonds and filing involves a drill.
She went in again and another
lightning bolt of pain seered down my spine, threatening to separate my spinal
column in two. I reflexively chomped down. She then realized things needed to be completely numb before doing ANY MORE work.
She injected a full dose of anesthetic this time and waited for it to "take" instead of forging ahead.
I read two 2 full magazines and then my face fell off my skull and I was happily pain-free for the rest of the procedure. Yay! But it took until midnight that I could speak like I wasn't brain-damaged.
Painless dentistry is awesome. I will let my teeth fall out of my head before I ever subject myself to drilling without anesthetic again!
Here are more teeth tips!
Keeping your teeth in top shape:
1: Get (and maintain!) sealants. They minimize wear and cavities. Get them even if insurance doesn't cover it -- they're not that expensive and will make your teeth last longer.
2: Use a flouride rinse. Flouride rinses are the only thing that actually help your teeth remineralize and can actually repair small cavities. Don't eat for 30 minutes after gargling.
3: Floss. Every day. A woven floss is better than waxed or teflon floss -- it's more pliable and cleans more completely.
4: Do not chew ice. You may be able to see cracks in your teeth, hairline fractures from years of abuse with a flashlight. This is depressing but not necessarily a problem, just don't keep pushing your luck. Don't chew on hard objects like ice, pens or pencils, hard candy, clothing tags, your nails, or anything brittle. My dentist said that's the number one reason people crack teeth. (Same goes for animals too -- it's not a great idea to let them chew on ice.)
5: If you clench your jaw or grind your teeth at night, get a mouth guard.
6: Use an electric toothbrush. It's not just hype. After this incident, I went a YEAR without setting foot in the dentist's office because I was too traumatized to even think of getting back in that chair. When I finally made myself go, I thought my teeth would be in terrible shape but they said it looked like I'd just had a cleaning. Don't brush too hard because that'll make your gums recede. It takes very little force to get plaque off. Be gentle on your teeth and they'll be good to you for years to come!
6. Ask for a "cervical collar" lead apron at the dentist next time you get an x-ray. X-ray exposure to tissue is cumulative so it's good to have this special apron to protect your thyroid.
I hope this helps your teeth live long and may you never need your teeth "smoothed"!
