Expert answers
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I have awful toothache but am too scared to go to the dentist
I’m in agony with toothache, I have a temporary filling in my 4th tooth from the back. During my temporary filling the tooth wouldn’t numb. My mouth and tongue was numb but not the tooth. My options are root canal or extraction. How is this possible if the tooth will not numb. I’m petrified of the dentist and this is only making my phobia worse! Kind regards.
Hello
many dental phobics leave going to the dentist till they have severe pain when this is more likely to happen . .
If a tooth is in the state between being alive and inflamed , and dying off , it sometimes needs much more anaesthetic and different techniques to get it numb .
However its possible that now the tooth will have changed its status to dead nerve and that makes getting it numb easier again .
This doesnt often apply to extractions , as the gums around the tooth are made numb and the nerve status is not so relevant . Once again just leaving them until they are really infected can cause problems
Tell the dentist that you have had this experience and they should make sure they give you lots of local , and wait long enough .
