Oral Surgery Pain Relief Options for People Who Do Not Like Anaesthesia or Pain Killers
Posted on: 31 July 2015
A visit to the oral surgeon often involves anaesthesia or sedatives to help you relax through your procedure. However, if you have an allergy to certain medications or if you have struggled with drug abuse in the past and now avoid pain killers, there are other options you can explore. These four ideas can help to alleviate your pain either in the oral surgeon's chair or after your surgery as you recovery:
1. Hypnotising yourself
If you are going in for an emergency oral surgery and you have never tried hypnosis before, you may want to explore other options. However, if your surgery is scheduled a few weeks or months in the future, you can start practising your self-hypnosis techniques now so you are ready when your appointment arrives.
Hypnosis has been used to help a range of people get through surgeries without anaesthesia. When you hypnotise yourself, you essentially breathe deeply and imagine that you are feeling no pain.
2. Reducing your glutamate levels
Another way to reduce your body's perception of pain, both at the oral surgeon's office and in other situations, is to reduce the presence of glutamates in your system. Glutamates are neurotransmitters that occur naturally in the body, and the more you have, the more pain you are likely to feel.
To reduce glutamate levels, consider having at least four sessions of acupuncture in the weeks leading up to your oral surgery. Alternatively, cut down on foods with glutamates in them, most notably that includes foods with MSG or monosodium glutamate.
3. Using essential oils
Whether they are used on their own or in conjunction with some of the other ideas, essential oils can help to reduce your pain and anxiety levels.
If you are anxious and you anticipate pain, you will feel it more acutely, but if you are relaxed, you will not feel as much pain.
Lavender can be extremely helpful in this regard. You can put a little lavender essential oil on your pressure points before your oral surgery, or you can ask your oral surgeon to diffuse it into the exam room.
4. Swearing
It may not be polite to swear at the oral surgeon's office, and it may be impossible to swear while your mouth is filled with dental tools. However, research shows that people who swear can handle pain for up to 50 percent longer of a time period than people who do not swear. Even if you can't utter swear words aloud, try thinking them repeatedly to yourself to reduce your pain.
If you are nervous about anaesthesia during your upcoming oral surgery or about taking pain killer after the procedure, don't be. There are natural alternatives. Talk with an oral surgeon from a practice like The Hills Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery to learn about other pain-management techniques.
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