Expert: Jeff Dalin DDS - 12/15/2006

Question
Thank you for replying so promptly. I have decided to replace the old fillings (>20 years old)however, I have one other concern and that is the novocaine. What parts of the mouth must be FULLY numb (100%) before the a dentist can work on a molar on the lower jaw. It took 4 injections before my dentist could work on a molar on the lower right side of my jaw and even, then it was kind of painful when he  drilled out an older filling which had fractured as he got closer to the pulp. (There was a significant amount of decay under the old filling).  The same thing happened before when my dentist worked before on the lower jaw and he indicated that there is an aberration in the nerve location (?). Before he started work my cheek, lip and back 1/3 of the tongue felt numb. Should my entire tongue have felt numb?  

Answer
lower molars are sometimes tough to numb. sometimes it takes a few injections to get them numb. yes...these shots do numb the tongue on that side as well. as far as how much of the tongue, this varies from person to person. maybe your dentist can try different brands of anesthetic. some work better than others on different people. i like septocaine or articaine. it seems to be a little more profound. discuss this with your dentist. good luck,

jeff dalin, dds