Rare Facts That Dentists Won't Ever Tell Their Patients

Ever wonder why your dentist asks you questions while their hands are in your mouth? What about what happens if you try to pull out your own tooth? Well, you’d be surprised just how tricky oral health can be. As these dentists would tell you, some pretty scary things can happen. Yep, they’ve truly seen it all. And based on these tricks of the trade, they don't shy away from the gnarly details.

Uncomfortably numb

Numbing someone from the pain of a dental procedure sounds like it should be easy, but that isn’t always the case. And if you’re consistently hard to dose with local anesthetic, it may be because of your diet. It all comes down to so-called “fatty tissue.” 

Feeling the pain

“Nerve tissue is fatty tissue,” dentist Eran Gutkin told Mental Floss in 2016. And if you have quite a bit of that type of tissue elsewhere, it can take in the anesthetic before it’s had the opportunity to work on your nerves.

Sorry, gingers!

Apparently, people with red hair are genetically predisposed to feel pain more intensely than others, which can make it difficult to numb them up before a dental procedure. And, weirdly enough, going to the dentist without eating first may also lead to more discomfort during the examination or procedure.

Much-needed distraction

Yeah, why do dentists like to talk to you while they’re poking and prodding around your mouth? It’s not to make you feel uncomfortable, though that’s often the result. It’s more likely to keep your mind off what’s going on — which can be a good thing if you’re a nervous patient.