I hate the effect of the local anaesthetic when your whole mouth goes numb, but I am not brave enough to have my treatment without anaesthetic. Are there any alternatives?
A. With modern equipment and techniques a lot of the dental procedures can be carried out painlessly without the need for anaesthesia. However, for procedures involving cutting into dentine or extractions, local anaesthetic is necessary. To avoid having the whole side of your mouth numbed as happens when you are given a block anaesthetic, it is possible to have just the tooth that requires treatment anaesthetised. Your dentist can explain more about this treatment.
