That's actually a very difficult question to answer, because there is such variation in our perception of these sorts of things. For instance, many in my family wear contact lenses, but I never will because "I can't bear the thought of sticking something in my eye." And as much as I love my opthamologist's office, having my eyes checked stresses me out a bit, whereas many folks look at an eye exam as the day-at-the-beach of medical visits.
Here's the thing. I perform local anesthetic injections the very same way each and every time. And yet there is a spectrum of patient reactions. At one end is, "I hardly even felt that!" At the other end of the spectrum, there are some patients who experience pain along with anxiety, with muscles tensing up and vocalizations too.
And yet I always do exactly the same thing in my technique.
Knowing something about that technique may help you through the process of getting numb. What we do first is apply powerful modern topical anesthetic (a gel meant for the surface) to the gums in the area the anesthesia is planned for. This provides surprisingly numb gums.
Plus, "numb gums" is fun to say out loud.
Now, before going on, let's just deal with that infamous word and get it out of the way: "needle." It's just a word, folks. Like "nutmeg" or "necktie." So, yes, we use a needle, which can be scary for some, but needles are just a way to deliver certain types of drugs to where they have to go. Until something better gets invented, it's the only thing we've got. But it doesn't have to be so bad.
What I do is to give the first drops of anesthetic very slowly. In this manner, it numbs the tissues as it's going in. The very purpose of anesthetic, numbing, works for us as it protects our patient from feeling pain from the temporary pressure increase. As we go along, I gradually increase the speed of administration so that the total time it takes to give the injection is reasonable.
Pre-numbing with topical anesthetic, and taking our time so that the anesthetic can numb as it is administered, are ways to make "the shot" as comfortable as possible. And for most patients, being numb, as stressful and annoying as it can be, is preferable to feeling the full effects of a tooth being treated.
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