Dental Filling With No Novacaine

[T_Dog]

A friend recommended an inexpensive dentist a few years back and I've had regular cleanings there. Yesterday during the cleaning he said I had a hole under one of my fillings and would I like it fixed in the same session. Sure, I said, might as well get it over with. After the cleaning, out comes the drill, not the needle and off he goes. I could have never handled this when I was younger, but it really wasn't that bad until he got close to the nerve. When he was done, he said I might have to get a root canal as he had to drill so close to the nerve. Great. I do think I'll go back to my old dentist..... At least there they fully disclosed what was going to happen before-hand and I'll be sure a root canal is done with a good amount of numbing. Wondering how many others have experienced the no-needle fillings......

[NancyL]

I've done no-needle fillings in a former life when I had a busy schedule and couldn't afford the time to deal with my mouth being numb. The trick is to listen to music on an MP3 player and practice the pain management techniques they teach you in childbirth classes. Hearing the drill is really the worst part.

[Soutpeel]

I had some filling done by one of the top dental surgeons in BHP and for the shallower ones, she did the same, no problem, she did say if I started feeling anything she would spike me no problem, but didnt feel a thing...as NancyL has said noise of the drill worst part..

for a root canal...you will be getting spiked..

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

If someone asks you "would you like to go to a librarian convention" and you start to say.

"I would rather have a tooth drilled out without painkillers"

You better get a new line ready like

"I would rather be smeared with honey and covered with bullet ants"

[JimmyTheMook]

I've done no-needle fillings in a former life when I had a busy schedule and couldn't afford the time to deal with my mouth being numb. The trick is to listen to music on an MP3 player and practice the pain management techniques they teach you in childbirth classes. Hearing the drill is really the worst part.

But that was so long ago.

[smokie36]

Had this when I was 10....agony....this was after the needle...bloody stuff didn't work....then he sticks the needle in and gives more anaesthetic...still didn't work.

Never went near a dentist for years after that bit of fun....!

[smokie36]

My dentist now on Sukhumvit 15 is tough enough with a scale and polish....hope I don't need any fillings!

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I have found that it is a struggle to get any Thai dentist to use local anaesthetic (I dont think any dentist uses novacaine for this any more but whatever).

Here they seem to pride themselves on doing the job gently and so not needing any pain killers.

I think this is crap and always have to argue with them so that they will shoot me up with a load of injections and then just do the job properly, putting their back into it. I find it especially difficult to get them to clean/scale properly as they always want to do it without injections and as far as I'm concerned without injections they can do no more than I can do with a toothbrush at home.

[Sheryl]

It may depend on where you go as I have never had that problem in >20 years here.

[payanak]

Sorry to hear about your difficulty getting a dentist to use anesthetic. Doing just about any procedure without adequate anesthesia is barbaric even in Thailand. Didn't the dentist know he would have to work close to the nerve by what he saw on the x-ray. What's that you say? He didn't take a picture of the tooth before working on it? Hmm...

Your problems with cleaning and scaling are a bit more understandable. In America we have the luxury of being able to hire dental hygienists for this area. They are licensed to give anesthesia in most states and will nearly always do a better job than the dentist they work for. There are no hygienists in Thailand.

Performing routine cleanings is somewhat demeaning for a dentist. Expecting them to scrape the crud off your teeth is little different than going into the hospital and asking your physician to give you a bath and wipe your butt. If you need deep scaling and root planing you will have to find a periodontist.

It would be wise to keep in mind that health care is like every other service or product you purchase. You pretty much get what you pay for. This is Thailand. You're not in Kanas any more, Bertha.

[T_Dog]

Have to agree. The tooth he filled is getting more painful, and it really stuns me when I put anything cold on it. He really should have told me this might happen, as I'm not able to get it fixed for about a week. It might be a long one.....

[BlackPuddingBertha]

Your problems with cleaning and scaling are a bit more understandable. In America we have the luxury of being able to hire dental hygienists for this area. They are licensed to give anesthesia in most states and will nearly always do a better job than the dentist they work for. There are no hygienists in Thailand.

Performing routine cleanings is somewhat demeaning for a dentist. Expecting them to scrape the crud off your teeth is little different than going into the hospital and asking your physician to give you a bath and wipe your butt. If you need deep scaling and root planing you will have to find a periodontist.

It would be wise to keep in mind that health care is like every other service or product you purchase. You pretty much get what you pay for. This is Thailand. You're not in Kanas any more, Bertha.

I had cleaning/scaling done every 4 months in Europe by various fully-qualified dentists for more than 30 years. It used to take them just under an hour and latterly I paid about 4000B for it, including the half-dozen injections that were obligatory if they were to do the job properly. Indeed they wouldn't even start the job without injections (nor would I let them).

I fail to see why dentists cant do this here for a third of the price, just as they do implants and root canals for a third of the European price. Indeed I recently had a fully qualified dentist in the dental department of the Sri Racha hospital do it with injections, and for that they charged me 1500B but they just dont put enough effort into it when they do. It's a glorified clean and polish, not a scale. The point of the injections is that once you cant feel anything they can scrape around without fear of hurting you, rather than pussy-footing about as they generally do.

As for what they do in Kansas: I've never been so I dont care too much.

[Manassas]

Is it possible to find a qualified periodontist in Thailand? My wife is seeing one in the States, but I'm wondering what we will do when we spend more time in Thailand.

[brewsterbudgen]

Sorry to hear about your difficulty getting a dentist to use anesthetic. Doing just about any procedure without adequate anesthesia is barbaric even in Thailand. Didn't the dentist know he would have to work close to the nerve by what he saw on the x-ray. What's that you say? He didn't take a picture of the tooth before working on it? Hmm...

Your problems with cleaning and scaling are a bit more understandable. In America we have the luxury of being able to hire dental hygienists for this area. They are licensed to give anesthesia in most states and will nearly always do a better job than the dentist they work for. There are no hygienists in Thailand.

Performing routine cleanings is somewhat demeaning for a dentist. Expecting them to scrape the crud off your teeth is little different than going into the hospital and asking your physician to give you a bath and wipe your butt. If you need deep scaling and root planing you will have to find a periodontist.

It would be wise to keep in mind that health care is like every other service or product you purchase. You pretty much get what you pay for. This is Thailand. You're not in Kanas any more, Bertha.

I use Asavanant in Thong Lor. They have hygienists and periodontists. They're very good.

http://www.asavanant.com/

Edited March 29, 2013 by brewsterbudgen

[edwinchester]

I chipped a tooth last week and needed it filled. Went to my wifes dentist and they refused an injection so I went elsewhere. The second dentist also wanted to drill and fill without an injection. He even got angry when I got up out of the chair and said no thanks without an injection. Raised his voice and said that I shouldn't tell him how to do his job! Third dentist did a great job for 600bht. 500 for the filling and 100 for the novacaine.

[payanak]

I use Asavanant in Thong Lor. They have hygienists and periodontists. They're very good.

http://www.asavanant.com/

Brewsterbudger,

I doubt you are seeing hygienists. A dental hygiene degree takes four years of college and is very competitive to get into. There is no such program in Thailand. A good referral, however, for someone seeking a periodontist.

I chipped a tooth last week and needed it filled. Went to my wifes dentist and they refused an injection so I went elsewhere. The second dentist also wanted to drill and fill without an injection. He even got angry when I got up out of the chair and said no thanks without an injection. Raised his voice and said that I shouldn't tell him how to do his job! Third dentist did a great job for 600bht. 500 for the filling and 100 for the novacaine.

Edwinchester,

good on you for not putting up with Thai doctor's nonsense attitude toward pain control. I still got a chuckle about the third one charging you 100 baht for the anesthetic. How much more did he want to use sterile instruments?

[Patsycat]

My dentist overdoses me on valium to make me giggly, then gets out the big nasty needle. You should see me going home on the bus.... sort of floaty.

[brewsterbudgen]

I use Asavanant in Thong Lor. They have hygienists and periodontists. They're very good.

http://www.asavanant.com/

Brewsterbudger,

I doubt you are seeing hygienists. A dental hygiene degree takes four years of college and is very competitive to get into. There is no such program in Thailand. A good referral, however, for someone seeking a periodontist.

Maybe you're right, but I have no reason to believe they're not, and why shouldn't there be qualified hygienists in Thailand?

http://www.asavanant.com/staff.php

[uptheos]

It may depend on where you go as I have never had that problem in >20 years here.

My dental experience here has been far better than anywhere in the UK.

I'm in Chiang Mai and currently on my third root canal by Dr. Joy (Endodontist), at Elite Smile and she's excellent.

The first thing I confirmed with her, was the liberal use of anaesthetic.

[tutsiwarrior]

in deepest, darkest Cochababmba, Bolivia I had dental work done with novocaine in 1966...the dentist did an excellent pain free job and being from California I expected the worst...

a couple of years later I was at the dentist in Nashville, Tennessee and the scoundrel went to work on me without any novocaine and had his assistants hold me down so I wouldn't squirm too much...he even stepped back and said: 'does it hurt? Mr tutsi?'...like somethin' outta the movie 'Marathon Man'...

here in the little town where I live in Thailand I went to the local dentist once to get some stitches removed after an extraction that I had done in BKK...she was a very pleasant young woman but it was obvious that novocaine treatment was not a part of her repertoire...

the past few years I've only had arab and vietnamese dentists in Jeddah and Hanoi and they are liberal with the novocaine and things have been painless...even the root canals...

I have a pal in California who is a handball fanatic and he regularly forsakes novocaine at the dentist to see how much pain he can endure...he sounds nuts but he is actually quite a nice guy, even though when we get drunk together he gets in my face and shouts: 'it's all a load of bullshite as I know and you know that fundamentally you are a pussy even though you got thru engineering school and you make a lot of money!'...(he sells trinkets at craft fairs for a living and many are the times when I have shouted 'pedlar! at him...)

Edited March 30, 2013 by tutsiwarrior

[jrtmedic]

"here in the little town where I live in Thailand I went to the local dentist once to get some stitches removed after an extraction that I had done in BKK...she was a very pleasant young woman but it was obvious that novocaine treatment was not a part of her repertoire."

Always suspected that Yanks are true wimps ! Anaesthesia for suture removal? ------ I've heard it all now ! LOL!

Edited March 30, 2013 by jrtmedic

[uptheos]

a couple of years later I was at the dentist in Nashville, Tennessee and the scoundrel went to work on me without any novocaine and had his assistants hold me down so I wouldn't squirm too much...he even stepped back and said: 'does it hurt? Mr tutsi?'...like somethin' outta the movie 'Marathon Man'...

That was quite a scene

[tutsiwarrior]

"here in the little town where I live in Thailand I went to the local dentist once to get some stitches removed after an extraction that I had done in BKK...she was a very pleasant young woman but it was obvious that novocaine treatment was not a part of her repertoire."

Always suspected that Yanks are true wimps ! Anaesthesia for suture removal? ------ I've heard it all now ! LOL!

no, no, no ye daft squib...the observation had to do with there not being anything in her 'surgery' other than a beat up dentist's chair and a beat table with some probing and gouging implements...

and...don't get me started on dental treatment in the UK...in one instance in Brighton the 'dentist' lost control of her drill and gouged me gums...and when I squirmed with discomfort she stood back in annoyance and said: 'oh, relax will you...'

only in England...

Edited March 30, 2013 by tutsiwarrior

[tutsiwarrior]

a couple of years later I was at the dentist in Nashville, Tennessee and the scoundrel went to work on me without any novocaine and had his assistants hold me down so I wouldn't squirm too much...he even stepped back and said: 'does it hurt? Mr tutsi?'...like somethin' outta the movie 'Marathon Man'...

That was quite a scene

yeah...the guy in Nashville was also bald but bigger and more jowelly than Sir Lawrence and with a gently deceptive tennessee accent...he was about the same age...

funny how all the torturers in the movies come across as 'gentle' types...

[Chonburiram]

Have to agree. The tooth he filled is getting more painful, and it really stuns me when I put anything cold on it. He really should have told me this might happen, as I'm not able to get it fixed for about a week. It might be a long one.....

I've always had the suspicion that ( barbers ) dentists ( worldwide ) do wilfully damage to your teeth for their own profit, after the root canal ( you are in for now, bec he drilled your nerve...) with all the attached costs ( and pain ), this butcher is going to give you an infection with the result ( include the sorry face of this <deleted> ) that he could not safe your tooth and he have to extract it --- after that the real business begins: we could make a bridge or a nice implant etc...

[tutsiwarrior]

Have to agree. The tooth he filled is getting more painful, and it really stuns me when I put anything cold on it. He really should have told me this might happen, as I'm not able to get it fixed for about a week. It might be a long one.....

I've always had the suspicion that ( barbers ) dentists ( worldwide ) do wilfully damage to your teeth for their own profit, after the root canal ( you are in for now, bec he drilled your nerve...) with all the attached costs ( and pain ), this butcher is going to give you an infection with the result ( include the sorry face of this <deleted> ) that he could not safe your tooth and he have to extract it --- after that the real business begins: we could make a bridge or a nice implant etc...

yeah...I hear that one...

recently in Jeddah a new dental clinic opened and super delux with western trained dentists and etc...someone at work had some work done there and recommended it...

a disaster; the reception women were chatting on their mobiles and doing their nails and ignoring the customers but I finally got in to see a dentist...she looked and without an xray just said: 'it's root canal fer you so lets get started and we'll discuss all the cosmetic stuff later...'

so I came back a month later (no other bookings were available as Fatimah the receptionist advised while scrutinizing her cuticles)and she did the deed over two visits...(two visits for a goddam root canal???!!!) and then advised: 'now we have to do a crown and for which you shall require a 'post' which is wildly expensive but I'm sure that you can handle it...'

no bookings were available for 6 weeks so I went back to a previous dental clinic that I attended 5 years ago in Jeddah which was not so 'western' but with adequate facilities for the job...

the dentist was a fat, perspiring arab with a scrubby beard and asked what was the problem and I said that I just had a root canal done elsewhere and now I need a crown...he scratched and looked and said that no crown was required and that a 'built up' filling would do...

then he said: 'what else?' and I said that the other folks said that I needed a root canal done on a back tooth...he looked and then tapped it with his scalpel and queried "feel that?' and I said no...then he said:'then it is quite possible that no root canal is required but we shall do a panoramic xray to confirm...' (and they later found that the tooth was sound...)

I was a grateful westerner when I descended from the dentists chair: 'thank you doctor...thank you...' and he looked at me puzzled and said: 'don't mention it...'

I'm quite sure that later when he hung up his white dentist's tunic and wiped his brow and scratched again he pondered and surmised that all westerners are mad...

[tutsiwarrior]

I have a pal in California who is a handball fanatic and he regularly forsakes novocaine at the dentist to see how much pain he can endure...he sounds nuts but he is actually quite a nice guy, even though when we get drunk together he gets in my face and shouts: 'it's all a load of bullshite as I know and you know that fundamentally you are a pussy even though you got thru engineering school and you make a lot of money!'...(he sells trinkets at craft fairs for a living and many are the times when I have shouted 'pedlar! at him...)

maybe this is not the place but I got tell this guy's story...

probably the most intelligent and erudite of all my associates he decided many years ago to do only the minimum that was required to survive with basic comfort like suitable accommodation, enough food to eat and etc...he declared after he had given up a well paid job as a counselor: 'seems to me like daily stress and unpleasantness is in direct proportion to the amount of money one makes so that if one wants to optimize his existence that there should be a balance...'

me: 'could be but havin' a lot of money makes a lot of stressful situations go away...'...

and then he sneered: 'and what is that??? 'tutsi's dilemma?'...' and so on and so on...

then, one halloween I dropped in on a mutual friend with a couple of sixpacks to find that his latent paranoid psychosis went ballistic and had flipped out and I was frightened and useless and called Gary and stuttered: 'ye gotta get over here! he's smashed up the place! we knew it was gonna happen and now it has!!!!'

and Gary was there in the amount of time that it usually takes to get from our place (we were room mates, together with our women in a big house in Richmond up the road from Berkeley where our friend lived)...he is a state certified counselor and just nodded at me to stay back and did the necessary...I was like a frightened child that didn't know what was happening...Gary sat with him and arranged to get the necessary medication as quickly as possible and later we all took turns to keep things level until he stabilised with his medication...

Gary never misses an opportunity to call me a pussy and 'pedlar!' is the best retort that I can muster...but I can't ever hope to win that argument...

(oh...and I should mention that Gary grew up in Pasadena like I did and we share a lot of the same sensibilities...)

Edited March 31, 2013 by tutsiwarrior

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I use Asavanant in Thong Lor. They have hygienists and periodontists. They're very good.

Interesting, but how much do they charge?

Never really seen the point of recommending a product or service without giving an idea of the price.

[tutsiwarrior]

to give a point of reference I paid 400 saudi riyals (not covered by insurance) for a cleaning in Jeddah...the filipina tooth cleaner really put her back into it...she gouged and scraped and produced a result and said: ' this is horrible, just look at this calculus...you really need to take better care of yer teeth...'...

I couldn't say much as my mouth was full of blood from all the gouging and scraping but I did manage: 'are you trine t'tell me that Issac Newton usedta be a dentist?...'

she caught the humor but wasn't amused...and then I choked on the blood from a big guffaw...what a mess...

Edited March 31, 2013 by tutsiwarrior

[draftvader]

I can't abide needles in my mouth and discovered I can deal with the pain during a root canal. After the first jab I was white and sweaty. I asked them how many more and they answered "3". I requested that they proceed without and I would request if needed. I have not had a single dental injection since and have had 7 metal fillings replaced with white fillings in 2 sittings. Once you get through the initial pain your mind starts to block it out....until they hit a nerve! I find that a LOT less stressful than needles in my mouth!