Reasons You Can’t Get Numb at The Dentist

At our dental office in Clinton Township, we always want to ensure our patients’ comfort. One of the ways we do that is by numbing the area we need to work on before we begin treatment. But sometimes we encounter someone who has difficulty getting numb. Why is that? We have some possible explanations.

Hot Tooth

Having a ‘hot tooth’ is a dentist’s way of saying your struggle to get numb may be caused by a particularly painful tooth. When a tooth is causing you a lot of pain, your nerves change. They can either become overactive, therefore needing more anesthetic to calm it down, or they can actually develop additional pain receptors. More nerves means the need for more numbing agent.

Movement During Administration

We understand the thought of getting a shot of anything isn’t very pleasant, especially when that injection is going into your gums. But it’s really important that you try really hard to stay really still. If you squirm or jerk away suddenly, your dentist in Clinton Township can miss the nerve, requiring additional injections to get properly numb.

Missed Target

While we all like to think we hit the bullseye 100% of the time, the truth is, we’re human. Unfortunately, sometimes that means we miss the target. Most dentist are trained so well that they hit their mark the majority of the time. But if you aren’t getting numb, we may recommend taking another try.

Your Body

Everyone is different, and just like how some people react differently to medications, anesthetics can do the same thing. Sometimes your body removes the numbing agent from your system too quickly, making the numbness wear off faster than we’d like. Other times, your body’s removal process is lightning fast, meaning you may not get numb at all.

If you have a history of being unable to get numb prior to a dental procedure, try to relax before your visit to our Clinton Township dental office. We’re here to help ease any concerns you may have and we’ll do whatever we can to help keep you comfortable throughout your visit.

Welcoming new patients from Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, Roseville and beyond. 

About The Author

Dr. Sophia Papasifakis Masters

Dr. Sophia Masters boasts 33 years of experience in the field of dentistry. Skilled in different dental procedures, she had advanced training in several prestigious dental institutions such as the Kois Center and The Dawson Center for Advanced Dentistry. She is a professional member of several dental organizations, including the American Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry. Additionally, she actively volunteers for Donated Dental Services, among others, and was an adjunct clinical faculty at Detroit Mercy Dental and the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

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