Comments on: The Novocaine Curve

By: JoshPerson

JoshPerson — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:40:57 +0000

@kevin I know the feeling. I was always deathly afraid of needles so my parents lied right to my face and told me the dentist didn’t use a needle. I finally found out the truth and I haven’t talked to them since.

I’m also constantly checking the rear-view mirror after leaving the dentist, but to make sure my face is still the same size. I always feel like JoshApeman afterward. Not to mention it feels like they paper towel my mouth out before I leave just to have me make a fool of myself as I wrestle with trying to drink water like a normal human.

By: Bryan Allain

Bryan Allain — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:50:52 +0000

okay, now i’m starting to feel like i don’t have it so bad. it would suck for the novocaine NOT to work.

and it would suck even more to be Kevin. (i kid…too funny with the pinch story!)

By: Veronica

Veronica — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:58:39 +0000

I’m another one of those people who don’t get numb properly. Last time I was at the dentist, he ended up giving me a nerve block that numbed half of my head (and I think the tip of my shoulder, which was weird) and I could still feel my damn tooth.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:21:56 +0000

It wasn’t until my later teen years that I realized they used a needle when numbing my mouth. Prior to that, they would put that crappy banana/band-aid tasting junk on my gum and then say that I would feel a little pinch. I literally thought that was what they did — pinched me a little. You know, to allow the crappy banana/band-aid tasting junk to enter into my body and start numbing my face. When I saw the needle for the first time, I felt betrayed…and a little terrified.

By: Katy G

Katy G — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:54:04 +0000

I’m a redhead and have to get dosed up at least twice before I can’t feel anything. Hate the side effects too, but enjoy flaring my nostrils trick when only one side flares…my kids love it

By: Karyn

Karyn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:02:14 +0000

Bry, same thing happens to me Must be a family thing

By: josh

josh — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:58:00 +0000

When I was younger, I had a few small cavities filled without novocaine. Only one time did I start to feel the pain during the last little bit of drilling. It only lasted for a short period of time, but I think that was the last time I went without the needle. The good thing was that I could immediately eat without drooling all over myself.

One of the worst things is when a dentist asks you to rinse and spit while numbed up. Always feel like an idiot sputtering to get the liquid out of my mouth.

I recently heard that redheads are not affected easily by novocaine. I mentioned this to my dentist last time I was there and she said it was true.

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:25:11 +0000

I have been labeled “hard to numb” by my dentist. Last trip – five shots of “regular” novocaine and then, when that didn’t work, a sixth shot that I was told would make my eyeball, and probably my entire face and part of my neck, numb. He said that I should also expect my eye to water uncontrollably, and I might not be able to open or close my eyelid easily. Nope!…Nothin! Not even 2 hours later. I long for all of the side-effects you mention above. I hate the dentist!

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:32:48 +0000

Initially I thought you said “God hates the dentist.” at the end. And I concur.