I want to have porcelain veneers done, but I understand the local anesthetic for that is usually Novacaine or Lidocaine. Both of those have Epinephrine, which a friend told me caused her to shake throughout her entire appointment and for about an hour afterward. I am worried I’ll have the same reaction. Is there another option to those which does not contain any Epinephrine? What about dental sedation? Would that work?
Lainey
Dear Lainey,
The Epinephrine that you find in those numbing medications is not enough to cause the reaction your friend had. It is more likely the Epinephrine that her body produced because of procedural anxiety she felt. As far as dental sedation goes, nitrous oxide would be okay because you would be lucid. However, I would not recommend you use anything like oral conscious sedation (OCS).
Oral Conscious Sedation is WAY too strong for a procedure such as porcelain veneers. You want to be able to get a good look at your veneers with a temporary try-in paste so you can give your approval or suggest what changes you want to be made. With Oral Conscious Sedation you will not be lucid enough to do that. In fact, it is so strong that dentists require you to have someone drive you to and from your appointment. It will be several hours after your appointment before you will be in any condition to be on your own or make decisions.
Unless you have a history of dental anxiety, you probably won’t need anything, but if you have even slight concerns, nitrous oxide will be a good precaution. It will relax you enough where the Epinephrine in your body will not kick in.
One word of caution before settling on a dentist to do your porcelain veneers. Smile makeovers are not taught in dental school. Because of that, you will want to make sure they have advanced post-doctoral training in cosmetic work before letting them work on you. Cosmetic Dentistry is not a recognized specialty so just calling themselves a cosmetic dentist will not be enough. Any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist. Look on their website bio for that post-doctoral training I mentioned.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.