Anything I can do to increase my pain tolerance?

November 16, 2006 9:38 AM

Tomorrow at 11:00 am I have an appointment to have 5 tiny cavities taken care of. The dentist says I shouldn't need numbing. What, if anything, can I do to maximize my pain tolerance?

I've tried this once before, and twitched immediately, so the dentist numbed my gums. But because of a friend's several-month-long numbness that resulted from a purportedly simple dental procedure, I'd prefer to skip the novocaine this time. I don't know if this is relevant or not, but I have a relatively low caffeine intake - less than 60 mg a day.

posted by dmo to health (14 comments total)

I can't help you there, because I *much* prefer to be frozen, the heavier the better. But that's my personal preference given my own set of dental difficulties.

That being said, if at any time during the fillings, if things start to become painful, do not be afraid to ask for some freezing. A filling should not hurt, period. Purely anecdotal, but I've been frozen dozens of times, and the worse side effect I've had was me chewing my lip to a pulp while driving home because it didn't cause me any pain. Frankly, I like the needle - it's much, much preferable that the pain you'll feel if your dentist slips a bit and bunps a nerve, or the decay is actually a little deeper than the xrays initially show.

That out of the way, it's been shown that the less anxious you are, the better your pain tolerance. I wish I had a link to back me up, but... Regardless it couldn't hurt to do something to relax yourself before your appointment.
posted by cgg at 9:50 AM on November 16, 2006

I almost always get my fillings done without first being numbed (I hate needles and always have a reaction if there is epinephrine present, so I just tend to go without). cgg is right about the being relaxed part. Just remember that it won't take long and will be over soon. It probably won't feel much worse than biting into a popsicle with sensitive teeth, especially with tiny cavities.
posted by denimflavored at 9:53 AM on November 16, 2006

Nitrous oxide. Have the dentist start administering it before the procedure starts. Bring in your iPod and space out to some happy tunes. The work will all be done before you know it.

Although if you do feel pain, let the dentist know right away so they can numb you.
posted by SomePerlGeek at 10:05 AM on November 16, 2006

Two completely diverging approaches, I've used both with more or less success (but also prefer being numbed).

1. distraction. Take your mp3 player - put on some engrossing music that you can concentrate on. Don't put it too loud though so you can still hear the dentist's instructions.

2. trust your dentist (it took me years, nay decades, to get there after some bad experiences). If they say you won't need numbing then you shouldn't. Ask them to tell you exactly when it's gonna hurt so you're prepared. The worst thing about the whole thing is the anticipatory fear, so knowing this will help you relax. The actual drilling for tiny cavities usually only lasts 1-2 seconds at the most.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 10:06 AM on November 16, 2006

Why drill at all...Aren't there new fangled ways to do it without drilling? YMMV
posted by Gungho at 10:07 AM on November 16, 2006

I agree.

Also, booze.
posted by craven_morhead at 10:20 AM on November 16, 2006

For minor cavities, which I assume you have, I much prefer the temporary pain (and there might well not be any) which really only lasts seconds to the prolonged discomfort where novocaine was injected.While they can numb the injection site prior to the shot I can bet that it will hurt 4-6 hours later. If you have 5 cavities you may also have multiple injection sites. I don't recommend alcohol unless your plan on drinking until you pass out or fall into a stupor. It's analgesic properties are vastly over rated. My guess is if you get the work done without novocaine your only real discomfort will be from having your jaw propped(forced)open. Good Luck
posted by rmhsinc at 10:53 AM on November 16, 2006

I don't know whether you're a man or a woman, but my dentist once told me that gums are more sensitive while you're pms-ey, so not to schedule cleanings and such around that time of the month.
posted by paleography at 11:10 AM on November 16, 2006

I have major dental anxiety after a spectacularly bad root canal experience and now do stupid stuff like try to leap out of the chair backwards at the slightest twinge, imagined or otherwise. To combat this during dental procedures, I pinch a spot on the wrist (my wrist, not the dentist's, as tempting as that may be) which seems to either help desensitize me to any transient pain or distract me enough that a placebo effect kicks in.
posted by jamaro at 11:28 AM on November 16, 2006

The distraction thing above is good. I've used two (contradictory) methods in the past, though, to varying levels of success. The first is the "happy place" method - imagine yourself in the classic tropical beach scenario (or whatever does it for you). The second is a bit more Zen-inspired: be aware of the pain and watch it closely, on the grounds that you may suffer more from trying to avoid the pain (in terms of anxiety, mostly, but I think perhaps in an inflated perception of the pain).

The former is probably easier to just jump in and do.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 4:14 PM on November 16, 2006

I almost never get novocaine because I find that needle in the gum worse than anything I experience with the drill. I may be a freak, but I find deep breathing and consciously relaxing myself (like in yoga-- do a mental checklist of muscle groups to relax) is usually all I need. I'm more nervous about the possibility of pain than I ever need to be.
posted by eve harrington at 5:36 PM on November 16, 2006

I try and relax my body and disassociate my mind. If you're uptight and tense and focusing on the possible upcoming pain, you're going to feel it more if it happens. I've nearly fallen asleep in the dentist's chair while he was working.

These days I let the professional do their work, and just relax. Your dentist won't say that it's okay without the numbing if they think it's going to be traumatic, in my experience they tend to go for numbing by default.
posted by tomble at 6:01 PM on November 16, 2006

Just like anything else - practice. Being surprised by anything makes it somewhat more poignant, so find ways to simulate similar kinds of pain and go in knowing almost exactly what to expect. Since pain is absolutely controllable, it's the anxiety that you have to get past.
posted by jtarchi at 8:41 PM on November 16, 2006

First off - Your friend's incident, while frightening, must be pretty unusual. I can't help but think that it's statistically unlikely to happen to you as well. (Unless you go to the same dentist. I wouldn't do that.)

As for advice - Make sure to get enough sleep the night before. Don't have lots of caffeine. Find a dentist that you can trust, and that you can have a relationship with other than "open wider". When I get there, I chat with the dentist and hygienist, and once the procedure begins, they continue to talk about whatever subject we were talking about. It gives me something interesting to think about instead of worrying about my potential pain.

If you ~do~ feel pain that you can't deal with, let the dentist know immediately. Sometimes the nerve won't be quite where it's expected, and you don't want anyone drilling anywhere near a nerve.
posted by Meep! Eek! at 10:16 PM on November 16, 2006