I was done at the dentist at 12 and it's 1:30 now and half of my mouth is STILL completely numb. I'm soooooo hungry, but I'm afraid I'll end up chewing the inside of my mouth up, ewwwwww. How long does this stuff take to go away?!?!?!?

Halos?? That sounds scary, glad that hasn't happened. Yeah, I'm trying to be careful by not eating, but I'm STARVING, I think I'll pick up some soup on the way home so I don't accidentally bite myself. At least I'm not in any pain!

Yeah, we tell our patients that it can take up to 5 to 6 hours to completely wear off. It all depends on what kind of anesthetic they use. The most common is Lidocaine, and since it has epi in it, it takes longer to wear off.

Be careful while its still numb, so you don't bite your lip or your cheek, and avoid hot foods and drinks cause you wont be able to feel how hot it is in that area.

Hope its almost gone by now!

~Liz (oh yeah, I'm a dental assistant )

Thank you, Liz, it ended up taking about 5 hours to completely wear off and I didn't eat ANYTHING during that time, just to make sure I didn't have half of a tongue when I was done

Glad you didn't have to deal with the halos haleys!! LOL!

Sooo...I've been putting off having gobs of cavities filled for about a year now b/c 1) I'm terrified of them sticking a needle in my gums and I've never had cavities before now (in fact, never had them 'til I got pregnant and then I got tons! ), and 2) it's so freakin expensive even with insurance. Is it uncommon for a grown woman to ask for the gas mask before the needle so she doesn't have to feel it? LOL I had to be loaded up on Valium before they could put me in the chair to extract my wisdom teeth--I'm afraid I will freak out if I don't have something before getting numbed for the cavity filling...

I'm going to the dentist I'm at now because he uses gas! I left my last dentist because he didn't. The experience is TRAUMATIC without gas! There's nothing wrong with asking for it. I had the mask, then he numbed it, then stuck the needles in, I think I had the needle stuck in 4 times and I didn't even care because the gas just makes it like you dont care. I had 5 cavities filled yesterday morning, it took about an hour and was not a traumatic experience because of the gas. You should definitely get your teeth taken care of soon, because if not, soon instead of getting cavities filled you may have to get teeth removed (which if I'm not mistaken involves pain). Yes, it is expensive, but it's your teeth, you'll have the same set (if you take care of them) for the rest of your life!

Good point! I wonder if any dentists let you set up a payment plan, or if they're all the "pay is due when services are rendered" types....

Yeah, there is nothing wrong with asking for the gas. We have these big burly men who have to use the gas lol so no I don't think they'd laugh at you for asking for it!

I have only used the gas once, when I had my 3rd molars out. It just makes you not care what they are doing.

I've only had 2 fillings since then, and for me, getting the shot was not a big deal. It doesn't feel the greatest, but since I worked with them everyday, it wasn't too bad. I'm so upset... lol I have my 3rd ever cavity right now that I need to get filled.

I have to agree, the sooner you get your cavities filled, the less money it will cost in the long run. When you wait, you run in to possible extractions, larger (more expensive) fillings, and then if you want to save your teeth (which of course is the best thing!!) there is the possibility of root canals and crowns. Its just soooo much easier on you and your money to have it taken care of ASAP.

And, yes there are certain areas of the mouth where the injections hurt more. Like the roof of your mouth, and right up front are the more painful areas. And almost every dentist now uses topical anesthetic and it makes the injection so much easier to deal with.

There are some dentists who do allow payment plans, and usually they are more willing to work with you, if you are a regular patient who is seen every 6 months, rather than someone who only comes in for emergencies (lol we don't like those patients LOL) There are other programs out there, like Care Credit which is like a credit card, but you only use it at dental offices, and they allow you like a year or 2 interest free with small payments to them, rather than the office.

And also, don't look for the cheapest dentist in your area... because the saying "You get what you pay for" is soooo true in dentistry. But you don't have to go to the most expensive either. Out of the 4 dentists I've worked for, the one who charged the most, was the worst dentist. The one who charged the least, was almost as bad. I never allowed either of them to work on my teeth. The other 2 were in the middle when it came to their fees, and they are 2 of the best dentists.

I'll shut up now I hope you get your butt into the dentist soon!!

~Liz

FatChristy: You won't know unless you ask, my bill was $700 and I asked them if they had any payment plans available, and they did! I paid $100 down and will pay another hundred for the next 6 months. So, ask your dentist!