Do you remember your first injection? For some reason, in dental hygiene school, there is so much build-up before and after the first injection. But from my first day at the “stub lab” to giving injections and constantly teaching them about injections, I learned a thing or two that helped make them go more smoothly. Here are some helpful tips to make your next injection a little better.
I know it’s hard when you’re nervous, but the patient will surely be able to feel your tense energy. If you can remain as calm as possible, take a deep breath and review your injection before injecting. When a patient is nervous about giving an injection, I seem to be able to feel the tension energy and I get a little nervous. The more you inject, the better you feel. Don’t hesitate to do your next injection in the office.
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We all know that getting local anesthesia can be a bit painful. Let the patient know that the sensation is perfectly normal. By preemptively communicating, you can get a sense of security even if you fall into an emergency situation.
One patient I was injecting felt nervous. They thought it was weird, had a little bout of pain, and ran out of the office right after we finished filming. It would have been a lot less stressful for both of us. I now make it a habit to always tell my patients in advance, even if they are nervous.
Look at the patient’s medical history to make sure you are using the best anesthesia for the patient. Anesthesia is not the best option, so there is nothing worse than giving a patient an injection and not being numb. Consider the length of your appointment, the type of anesthesia available for your medical history, and the type of infection. All of these things help in giving more successful injections by keeping the patient numb throughout the appointment.
If you end up hitting a bone while blocking and need to give yourself a second in a different area, consider switching needles. If the needle is blunt, the patient can feel more pressure and the extra pressure can lead to anxiety. Using a brand new sharp needle can make a big difference in patient comfort.
Hygiene Edge has lots of injection videos to help you check your landmarks and positioning. Check out how to take an IA and see some common errors when doing an IA.
Hygiene Edge was created by three dental hygiene educators who love both dentistry and education. With over 40 years of experience in both education and dentistry, Melia Lewis, Jessica Atkinson and Sherry Brown share their knowledge by providing helpful short videos online, giving talks and working with great companies. love to share. For more information, visit Hygiene Edge on YouTube (youtube.com/hygieneedge) and Instagram (@hygieneedge). Have questions or difficult areas? Let us know! We are happy to help.
