A visual that still haunts me is that of Tom Hanks taking out his own tooth with an ice skate in the movie “Cast Away”.
It stirs memories from my childhood dental visits and a dentist that did not believe in numbing. When I chose to become a dentist, I vowed that no one would ever have to experience what I did.
From a great mentor Dr. Smith in dental school, I learned the first great secret to pain free injections – the slower the better. The numbing agents we use all have a different ph. levels and temperatures than your body, so if placed too fast, cause a pain sensation. When warmed and done very slow, that pain sensation is avoided. I’m sure you are thinking “what about the initial poke … that hurts”. I’m glad to report that we have eliminated that also. We found a pharmacist that mixes a special topical gel that makes the start of the injection undetectable. I knew we had found the “magic” combination when patients would ask after an injection, “did you just give me a shot? I didn’t feel anything”.
With the newest anesthetics and techniques, no one should ever have to fear any dental procedure. Our mantra is if you are not comfortable, we will not proceed. We also know that the lingering numb face is a great annoyance so we offer a reversing agent that cuts that wake up time in half. Your comfort is our main concern. This is my favorite thing to hear:
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