A question for the dentists on here - tell new dentist or not?

[BlondeHeadOn]

A question for the dentists on here – I would really like your opinion please.

In a nutshell:
1. Do I tell my new dentist that my old (now retired) dentist had a lot of trouble getting an anaesthetic to ‘take’ on the tooth I am going to have crowned last week? And
2. that I had a very bad reaction to the second anaesthetic he gave me?

The back story (in case this helps):

Tooth = upper, right-hand-side, back molar
This was filled by my now-retired dentist 2 years ago, some of filling dropped out before Christmas, I've now agreed for new dentist to put in a crown (gold one, in case that’s of interest – the tooth isn’t visible when I smile anyway).

When I had the filling my old dentist gave me an anaesthetic – which had no effect whatsoever, not even a slight tingle, so after waiting about 10-15 minutes he then gave me a second injection.
This second injection apparently contained adrenaline – and I had a really really bad reaction to it! Even as he started to inject it felt like I was having the worst panic attack ever, I started to fight him to get off me, my whole body went into violent spasms and the dentist and nurse had to hold me onto the chair as I was juddering so much, I thought I was going to die (I think they thought I was going to die as well!) – awful time, I am shaking now just thinking about it. He never did even get the whole quantity of injection in! It was so bad I had to sit in the waiting room and recover for about an hour afterwards, and then go home – and then come back the following week to have another go at filling the tooth.
:eek:

On this return visit the now-retired dentist gave me an injection which was absolutely fine, no reaction at all, and it took straightaway (in fact I reckon he gave me enough to numb an elephant, as I couldn’t feel anything much for the rest of the day).

My old dentist then told me that 99% of the population have the nerve for that tooth running in the direction of the first injections he gave me, but I am one of the 1% that have the nerve in at a slightly different angle, which is why the first set of injections didn’t work.

Now, am I going to sound like a complete idiot if I tell the new dentist this? Or will it be helpful for him to know? Or is it complete rubbish anyway?

Also, should I warn the new dentist not to give me adrenaline in with my anaesthetic, or is this not usually used anyway?

(BTW I have very low blood pressure, and a neurological condition which means that I do sometimes react oddly to certain drugs etc. – I don’t know which was the problem with the adrenaline, but I sure don’t want to go through that again!)

Sorry for the long description, but you can maybe appreciate why I am a bit concerned about going to have a crown put in by this new dentist next week….

:D

[Toothsmith]

That is all a relevant part of your medical history, and you should tell the new dentist. (Unless you are a wierd sort of person, and want to repeat any of it :D )

[BlondeHeadOn]

That is all a relevant part of your medical history, and you should tell the new dentist. (Unless you are a wierd sort of person, and want to repeat any of it :D )

No, definitely don't want to repeat any of it!! I'm not that wierd!

I suppose I had lost confidence in my old dentist and wasn't sure whether the 'nerve in the wrong place' explanation was a just load of rubbish or not. If that is true then I will tell my new dentist, and also about the reaction. I didn't want to sound like some mad woman spouting complete bollox....

Many thanks!
:beer:

[tattoed bum]

hi if it's any consolation i have exactly the same problem in the twice i have had an injection at the dentist with adrenelin in it i had the same reaction the dentist i had even had to call out the paramedics ,so for years after i refused to have an anestetic(sp?) when getting any work done . My dentist accepted this until i moved so therefore had to change dentist i told the new dentist this and they now have in big huge letters on my notes not to give me any injections with adrenalin. they do have some without and they have been fantastic .

so please tell them ,they may never have heard of it before lol but i'm sure they wont think you are silly ,daft or anything else .

i've never heard of this happen to anyone else before so thanks at least i know it's not just me lol

[belfastgirl23]

Do tell them. Otherwise you'll be lying in the chair worrying about it. And if you have an intolerance to adrenalin then it could potentially be a real problem for both you and the dentist.

What is it that you think might happen if you let them know?

[suki1964]

And if you are just getting the crown fitted you wont be needing any injections - its just cemented on (perhaps a bit of fine tune filing)

Of course you should tell all medical professionals of any reactions you have had to any medication - they aren't mind readers after all :D And its always best to be safer then sorry.

[BlondeHeadOn]

hi if it's any consolation i have exactly the same problem in the twice i have had an injection at the dentist with adrenelin in it i had the same reaction the dentist i had even had to call out the paramedics ,so for years after i refused to have an anestetic(sp?) when getting any work done . My dentist accepted this until i moved so therefore had to change dentist i told the new dentist this and they now have in big huge letters on my notes not to give me any injections with adrenalin. they do have some without and they have been fantastic .

so please tell them ,they may never have heard of it before lol but i'm sure they wont think you are silly ,daft or anything else .

i've never heard of this happen to anyone else before so thanks at least i know it's not just me lol

Thank you for this - I've never heard of anyone else with a problem with adrenaline before either, so it is great to hear that I am not the only one! I will definitely tell the new dentist.

Many thanks!

:T :T :T

[BlondeHeadOn]

Do tell them. Otherwise you'll be lying in the chair worrying about it. And if you have an intolerance to adrenalin then it could potentially be a real problem for both you and the dentist.

What is it that you think might happen if you let them know?

It was the bit about the nerve being in a different place that I was most concerned about telling the new dentist about, in case that was just a story made up by my old dentist to explain why he couldn't get the anaesthetic to work. I wasn't sure whether this was the equivalent of a left-handed hammer or not!

I will tell the new dentist all, and let him decide how best to deal with it.

Many thanks for your reply.

:T :T :T

[BlondeHeadOn]

And if you are just getting the crown fitted you wont be needing any injections - its just cemented on (perhaps a bit of fine tune filing)

Of course you should tell all medical professionals of any reactions you have had to any medication - they aren't mind readers after all :D And its always best to be safer then sorry.

The tooth is filled at the moment, not crowned, so I have two appointments a fortnight apart. The first (next week) is for the preparation work - which I can't help feeling will need an injection. The second appointment I guess may not, if it is just the cementing.

Thanks for your help - it is so helpful being able to get other people's views on dental matters, it is actually helping me to be less of a nervous patient!

:T

[belfastgirl23]

It was the bit about the nerve being in a different place that I was most concerned about telling the new dentist about, in case that was just a story made up by my old dentist to explain why he couldn't get the anaesthetic to work. I wasn't sure whether this was the equivalent of a left-handed hammer or not!

I will tell the new dentist all, and let him decide how best to deal with it.

Many thanks for your reply.

:T :T :T

Even if it is the equivalent of a left handed hammer :) how would you know that? You aren't a medical/dental professional and all you can do is pass on the info your previous dentist gave you. If it's wrong it isn't your responsiblity.

I know what it's like to be a nervous patient by the way, well done on making the appointment and good luck!

[Toothsmith]

That's very true - and telling the new dentist what the old dentist has told you will give the new dentist an idea of what the old dentist tries to fob his patients off with!!!!!!

(From what you have written here, your old dentist doesn't sound too wild and whacky though!!)

[Mojisola]

Thank you for this - I've never heard of anyone else with a problem with adrenaline before either, so it is great to hear that I am not the only one! I will definitely tell the new dentist.


Lots of people with ME react very badly to adrenaline and have to have the other sort of injections so the chances are that your new dentist will have come across it before.

[BlondeHeadOn]

Lots of people with ME react very badly to adrenaline and have to have the other sort of injections so the chances are that your new dentist will have come across it before.

That's interesting Mojisola - thank you, I didn't know that. I don't have ME, but that has always sounded like a neurological condition to me so that makes sense with what I have.

It's very useful to know that I am not the only one with adverse reactions!

:T

[Ms Mouse]

I have similar adverse reactions to the standard local anaesthetic (lignocaine) as mentioned already. I tried many times over the years to discuss this with various doctors and dentists before and after minor surgery and dental work, but was ridiculed (some professionals are such idiots!). One of my half-sisters has a similar problem, though no other relations as far as I know, so maybe it is inherited.

Eventually a dentist DID believe me, before doing any dental work, and ordered in some anaesthetic called prilocaine (brand name Citanest). I still feel a bit glazed over after having an injection and would not dream of driving, for instance, but this is nothing to the reactions to lignocaine.

When I told my GP that my dentist recognised the problem he took sufficient notice to write to the anaesthetist at the local hospital to check whether this was possible. This was becasue he was going to do a minor op and I refused to allow him to inject me with lignocaine.

When he bothered to check "possible adverse reactions" in his reference book - there it was! He had this adverse reaction info recorded in my medical records and even advised me to get one of those bracelets with a compartment to store a note of medical info.

This sort of reaction might well be very rare but it is not trivial.

I would definitely recommend that you tell your new dentist and also have this info recorded in your medical records. There is a requirement for all NHS medical records to record known allergies and this section can also be used to record significant adverse reactions.

As far as the thing about nerves and the site of the injection, it rings a bell for me with information that I was given when I was being treated at a dental school. The student dentist explained why he was injecting me quite a long way from the tooth that he was going to work on, that they had been taught to use an injection site that would be both effective and pain-free. The injection worked and, as promised, the actual injection was pain-free as well. :-)

(Why do doctors, dentists and nurses always say, "You are going to feel a little scratch . . ", when an injection, wherever it is, feels nothing like a scratch?)

[violetta]

(Why do doctors, dentists and nurses always say, "You are going to feel a little scratch . . ", when an injection, wherever it is, feels nothing like a scratch?)

I suppose "You are going to feel a little p r i c k " does not sound too good???

[sillyvixen]

if you had had a problem with a general anesthetic in previous surgery you would mention to your surgeon and aneathisitist - why not mention it to your new dentist - same difference!!

[never enough]

Tell them.
I have exactly the same problem & my dentist always uses Citanest too. It's on my dental records in very big red letters, so they obviously take it seriously.
I figure with something like that (ie you're not trained in it yourself) you can only pass on what a professional has told you. If they've told you a load of rubbish, for whatever reason, it's not your problem. Better to be thought of as a bit bonkers than to be ill.