Painless shots!!

If you have a chance to look at our reviews, either online or on our website, you will see a lot of comments about painless injections given in our office! I have learned over the course of 15 years that injections can be completely painless at best and only mildly discomforting at worst if given correctly.  So what do we do to try and minimize the pain when giving an injection.  We use distraction!  That is what pick pocketers use when they steal someone's wallet.  They bump into you, you feel a bump and never realize that they reached into your wallet and stole from you.  In the same way, a good distraction can "distract" the patient or their nerves, while the dentist stealthfully sneaks in and delivers anesthesia.  Have you ever been to an acupuncturist.  I have many times and usually you will not feel it when they poke you with their needles.  Now granted, their needles are a lot smaller in diameter.  But they also use a tap distraction that helps to dissipate the pain!  Have you ever run through a field and later realized that you had a cut on your leg from something sharp, but because you were so distracted with running, perhaps because you were in a game, that you never felt the pain or realized that you were cut.  One more example of this concept.  Have you ever given a shot to your dog or cat.  In my home, when we have to give a shot to our cat or dog.  My wife will hold the pet and scratch him/her vigorously.  I will do the same around the neck of my animal and then quickly give a shot.  Most of the times, the animal is so distracted, they don't feel the shot.  So in our office, this is what we do when we give an injection (shot).  We will place topical anesthetic.  This is a numbing gel so that the tissue in your mouth gets numb before the shot.  This actually numbs up the exterior of the tissue quite well but it can only penetrate so much.  This is more of a superficial numbing.   Then I distract the tissue by shaking the gums w/ my thumb or forefinger.  Then slip the needle into the tissue and only allow a few drops initially to get the tissue to numb up.  Our patients tell us all the time how painless this technique is.  The palate is made up of hard tissue and getting an injection in this area can be very painful.  The topical anesthetic (numbing gel) doesn't work very well here either because the tissue is so thick.  In this area, I like to apply pressure w/ the back end of my mouth mirror or with the end of a q-tip.  I bounce up and down w/ the stick and ask patient if they feel the pressure on their hard palate.  They will reply that they do. I am trying to get the patient to focus on the pressure that they are feeling.  Then when I am applying pressure again, I insert the needle gently.  The pressure of the stick will mask the pain from the needle.  This is a very effective way for delivering anesthetic!  I could go much more regarding these and other techniques, but this may suffice for those wondering what we do to try and make each visit as comfortable as possible!