Korean Job Discussion Forums

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

It is kind of hard for me to type at the moment. The jolting sensations from my fingers hitting the keyboard hurt my jaw. For some reason the Dentist I went to this morning seemed to honestly believe I would not need novacaine for two fillings she gave me. The first one went fairly well, and the second one only hurt with minimal pain. A couple hours later my jaw is throbbing so bad I think the dentist drilled all the way through my tooth, and into the jawbone.

Now in defense of the Dentist I very well could have said no, but stupidly did not. My question being do Korean Dentists often not use Novacaine?

Either way lesson learned... Don't be the tough guy!

bleeh... only 5 more classes to go.... whimpers...

desultude · Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:24 pm Post subject:

Maybe he figured with a name like chainsawman, you could take it? Wink

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Yeah, novocaine is considered optional here. My hair stood straight up when the dentist told me that the first time. It turned out he was right. But they will give it if you ask and will volunteer it if they think it will be necessary. It could be that we wimps from the West are being pampered back home--and charged for unnecessary medication.

Wait till you're in the hospital with some sort of excruciating pain and the doc says those immortal words, "Pain is not important." And walks out.

Or you go in to the emergency room at 3 in the morning with a kidney stone. The nurse gives you a shot. An hour later the pain hasn't diminished. You send your Korean-speaking friend that you have dragged out of bed in the middle of the night over to find out if you can have another pain shot, only to find out the first shot wasn't for pain. It was just a trick to get you to shut up till the doctors show up at 10 AM--seven hours later.

Just remember: Pain is not important.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

PS: Sorry about your tooth and your pain.

Pangit · Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Location: Puet mo.

I think I might have a couple Tylenol 3 pills somewhere. I'll let you take them off my hands for $50.

Wangja · Joined: 17 May 2004 Location: Seoul, Yongsan

Is novacaine a tablet for pain after the drilling? If so, I've never had that here or anywhere else. To be honest, I've never even heard of it.

If it's the pre-drill jabs in the gum, in my experience here they will give you as much as you ask for.

Plus one to be on the safe side as I always ask ...

peppermint · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 1:33 am Post subject:

I'll never forget the look on the dentist's face ( here), when I said they usually numb the gums with a cream before even jabbing you at home.

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

God help me two more classes............ Crying or Very sad

ddeubel · Joined: 20 Jul 2005

SORRY for yah....but if its any consolation (probably not at this hour). Pain is what makes us see colour.......metaphorically.

"Happiness? Good health and a poor memory." Schopenhauer...

PAIN is very good memory!!!

DD

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

About ten tylonels later and the pain in my jaw nearly is a dull throbbing memory. All that aside the good feeling of having a piece of glass jammed into my gums had receded some on its own, and it sure made teaching classes hella fun.

Hollywoodaction · Joined: 02 Jul 2004

Last time I went to the dentist, I didn't get novocaine. In fact, I might even prefer it that way. My jaw always hurts for a day or two after if I get a shot of novocaine. Except for a slight feeling of pain as my tooth got hot while the dentist was removing what was left of my broken filling with his drill, it really wasn't that bad at all. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say pain was a 3 (if it hadn't been a new sensation, I'd probably rate it a 2). Besides, the feeling quickly went away the moment the dentist stopped drilling and my jaw didn't hurt for days afterward.

VanIslander · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:32 pm Post subject:

Oh, how things are different here!

Doctors always want to give injections when one goes to them for anything.

Yet dentists refrain from giving an injection unless specifically requested.

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

The actual pain of the drilling was not all that bad. I was fine until a few hours later when I started teaching classes and doing alot of talking. Then it felt like I had the entire marching band taking a turn on my two back molars with a pair of cricket bats. Had I been able to stay home pop down a few tylonel and not talk I would have been fine.

By this morning the bulk of the pain had pretty much faded.

joe_doufu · Joined: 09 May 2005 Location: Elsewhere

Dan, I don't think Novocaine would help with the "after" pain, it's really just a local and "now" painkiller as far as I know. You should have tried tylenol, maybe some prescription-strength version, for the lingering pain.

VanIslander · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 11:34 pm Post subject:

An adult class of mine discussed toothaches and we found out that they ALL have gone to the dentists and experienced toothaches. Perhaps some from after the visit, I dunno the details.

But I was surprised that all seven of them have had pain due to their teeth this year.

The last time I had a toothache was in 1993.

My students don't believe me! "You lie" they say. Not one believes me. They think I MUST be joking. But I'm not. My teeth ain't perfect but they haven't hurt and whatever cavities I might have haven't been bothering me. I brush or floss three times a day, after every meal, and use the flouride-based toothpaste from Canada. Maybe that's the difference.

Has anyone else gone a decade or more without a toothache?

(I want to prove to them I ain't alone!)