Multiple injections might be dental pain cause
Question: After having what I thought was routine crown-work on my lower back teeth, the following day I could barely open my mouth to eat. What did the doctor do to me? - Phil, Tequesta
Answer: Often after mandibular block injections, required to anesthetize the back lower teeth, the common side effect "trismus" occurs. Often multiple injections are needed to numb these posterior teeth due to a tricky network of nerves that must be reached. Limited opening, muscle spasms, stiffness and pain - this is caused by inflammation of the muscle fibers, hemorrhage into the muscles of mastication or low-grade infection. This will all go away. In the meantime, your dentist might recommend warm compresses, 800 mg of ibuprofen, muscle relaxants (Flexeril, Diazepam), saltwater rinses, antibiotics, and in severe cases, a steroid such as Methylprednisone. Recovery can take several weeks.
Vibrating needle eases painful injection
Question: Recently while my dentist was giving an injection, I felt a vibration and a heard a buzzing noise. I was startled at first, but I felt no pain. What was going on? - M.B., South Palm Beach
Answer: It sounds like your doc is using some of the latest technology in the land of teeth and gums. Fifty percent of all Americans avoid dental care entirely because of anxiety about painful injections. (You Canadians are not off the hook either.) Two devices lead to extremely comfortable injections: a VibraJect and the DentalVibe. Both of these devices will vibrate the needle 400,000 times per second like a hummingbird’s wings, thereby stopping the pain stimulus from traveling through your neurons to your brain. For more info on this subject or any other dental topic, contact our office at 239-936-5252.