Hi socasusie,

A debridement is a thorough scraping of the tooth socket once the tooth is removed. This step of the surgery is very important and should not be overlooked. Unfortunately, not all dentists perform this step and that's when post op problems can arise.

It is important to be very numb, of course, during the procedure. You will feel pressure and hear cracking sounds... but there should be no pain. When there is an active infection like an abscess, sometimes the anesthetic is not as effective as it would be if there were no infection. The reason being is that infection causes the area to be very acidic. Local anesthetic is very ph sensitive so in unfavorable situations like infection, the nerve fibers have a difficult time allowing the anesthetic through. But there are several ways to work around that and oral surgeons know those ways.

Also, anxiety can delay the effectiveness of local anesthetics. That's why some people will say ...." I was more numb when I got home than I was in the dental chair"!

Also, vitamin C reduces the effectiveness of anesthetic whereas the B complex enhances the effectiveness. So avoid vitamin C prior to the extraction... take it afterwards for healing.... and take a B complex supplement 1-2 hours prior to the appt. if you can.

Bryanna