Re: Effective anesthesia for dental procedures on CMT patients

[Guest guest]

I am having the same problem, but only in certain areas of my mouth. I would

love to share in the information you receive.

[Guest guest]

Hi Mark,

Maybe suggest N.O. or EDA to your dentist, depending on the work

being done. See below. ~ Gretchen

Anesth Prog. 2008 Winter;55(4):124-31.

Nitrous oxide and the inhalation anesthetics.

Becker DE, Rosenberg M.

Nitrous oxide is the most commonly used inhalation anesthetic in

dentistry and is commonly used in emergency centers and ambulatory

surgery centers as well. When used alone, it is incapable of

producing general anesthesia reliably, but it may be combined with

other inhalation and/or intravenous agents in deep sedative/general

anesthestic techniques. However, as a single agent, it has impressive

safety and is excellent for providing minimal and moderate sedation

for apprehensive dental patients. To gain a full appreciation of the

pharmacology, physiologic influences, and proper use of nitrous

oxide, one must compare it with other inhalation anesthetics. The

purpose of this CE article is to provide an overview of inhalation

anesthetics in general and to address nitrous oxide more specifically

in comparison.

also ask about Electronic Dental Anesthesia

http://faculty.washington.edu/quarn/eda.html

also

http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/OC/Information/OralHealthBasics/

CheckupsDentProc/Anesthesia/LocalAnesthesia.cvsp

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070122181038.htm

[Guest guest]

I too have had the same problem. I cannot do nitrous as it makes me nauseus. I

have found that I go to dentist earlier than my scheduled appt and have him give

me the novacaine and then I sit for 15 minutes to let it take effect. I also

read that if you are anxious, which we get when we think we will not get numb,

then it is harder to get numb. When I brought this up to my dentist, he

prescribed valium to take before the appt and that seemed to really help me get

numb. I am still petrified to go to dentist and never before had I been so

uptight at any doctors appt.

Jackie

[Guest guest]

With me if I have a local anesthetic with injection, it often affects

my balance as well as making me feel strange in the head!

[Guest guest]

I'll gladly share it with you as soon as I get it, or some.

Mark

[Guest guest]

Wow, though I'm sorry to hear so many have experienced what I have

in the dental chair, glad to know I'm not alone here and there is a

reason. I have a very high pain tolerance and I hate acting like a

baby at the dentist office. I just know he thinks I'm hystrionic and

a nervous nellie (so not me -- and not the way he treats me, I just

think he MUST think that, no one else has such problems).

I have had a really good experience with one dentist who,

unfortunately doesn't take my insurance anymore. He used

a " ligajet " . I never felt the injection and got numb and stayed

numb. It was wonderful. My new dentist doesn't have the technology

for it (the old guy was a Brentwood, state-of-the-art-everything

guy). My son was able to get through his appts by coming 1/2 hour

early to the appt., taking an oral sedative and then getting the

usual lidocaine. That seemed to work for him.

I tried nitrous once and it scared me to death. I'm sure it was just

that I didn't know what to expect but I felt like I was rising and

sinking at the same time. I went to raise my hand to let him know

I'd had enough and my hand wouldn't come off the chair and then I

realized I couldn't get my eyes to open! On the inside I was

screaming " Stop!!! I'm dying!! " on the outside I was lying there

peacefully. I told him after I came out of it and he said, " oh,

you're fine, you were never in danger " , yeah, well maybe, but never

do that to me again.

I have also had the experience of being dizzy and disoriented after

getting so many injections trying again and again to get the tooth

numb. It may be because of the energy it takes to endure the pain,

or it may be the amount of lidocaine, I don't know. After one appt

for a root canal, I'd had about 20 injections to the mental nerve

(back of the lower jaw) never acheiving full numbness, I got lost

driving home. It was a scary experience. Everything seemed familiar

but I couldn't think of which way to go. Finally I bumped into my

street after wandering around. That was really weird.

Holli

[Guest guest]

Holli,

I have had the same experience with the nitrous, scared me to death, it makes me

feel better to know I was not the only one, and there is something going on

besides it just me being weird. Of course again I am sorry someone else had to

go through it, but reading your reply made me feel I was there all over again.

[Guest guest]

Holli

Wow! I too have a very high tolerance for pain, so when I do feel it.......it's

painful! Today I had my dentist do a nerve block, and that coupled with my

normal pain meds, seemed to work out pretty good. I didn't feel too much of

anything.

Mark

[Guest guest]

I think the feeling like a baby and a whiner is more frustrating to

me than the actual pain of it. I hate that. I pride myself in being

the strong, capable one in most situations. Of course, I have to

attribute much of my lack of response to pain to my poor

demyelenated nerves. I never feel shocks or other things that make

everyone else scream.

Anyway, Mark, could you tell me a little more about the nerve block? What nerve

and how did they get to it? I'd like to be able to describe it to my dentist for

the next go around.

Holli

[Guest guest]

Holli,

I know how you feel. I am not a complainer or whiner, but when it comes to the

dentist I am a bundle of nerves. I have broken bones in my feet and legs and was

less scared than sitting in the dentist chair! When I told my dentist that I was

feeling the drill, he told me that it was impossible and my eyes started to tear

up. He then read my chart and came back in an apologized and gave me a longer

time to sit there and get numb. Maybe it is not the amount of shots we get, but

more about taking the extra time to get numb. Usually dentists only give you a

couple of minutes and waited 15 before I let him touch me again!

Jackie

[Guest guest]

Jackie

Yes, I can relate. My dentist used to give me the shot, and then wait seconds

before

approaching me like the Energizer Bunny! Finally after this last visit, he had

his technician

repeatedly asking me if and when I was getting numb, and only when I said

" mission

accomplished " , did I let him near me. This time, as mentioned in a previous

post, the

novacaine married to my normal pain meds, did the trick and everything proceeded

rather

smoothly.

Mark