Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 5/23/2010

Question
when i went to the dentist, they gave me a shot in my gum to make it numb, 20 min later it was not numb at all. they kept giving me shots while my dentist was filling my cavity. i ended up getting 15 numbing shots just so my mouth would stay numb for 10 min. could my dentist have injected the shots in the wrong place in my mouth or was it just me? i also had to undergo mouth surgery. they sedated me but it took 3 min for me to go under and i woke up in the middle of the surgery, they gave me a higher dosage to keep me asleep for the rest of the surgery. can this happen to? is there something wrong with me?
thanks-
Nicole

Answer
There is nothing wrong with you. It is possible they did not get the nerve when he injected the numbing medicine. As for the sedatin, you are not supposed to be asleep. Just groggy. 3 minutes is normal for the drug to take effect.

Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMb-Galveston