Do some dentists today practice NOT using local anesthesia AT ALL except for extractions?

The very first dentist I went to as a little kid back in the early 1980s did just that! Every single cavity I got that needed to be filled, even the big ones in my molars, he never numbed me up before he drilled. You can imagine the plenty of screaming in pain many patients of his endured while in his chair. He does this to both kids AND adults. Only exception for numbing is for extractions. Why does he do this? I don't know how he stayed in business (unless his fees are attractively low which is probably what lured my parents, but if thats true you can see what the tradeoff is!). My family went to another dentist a few years later - his fees were basically the same, except he used local anesthesia for drillings - much to my relief.





Currently I am on my fifth dentist in my lifetime. All except the first used local anesthesia in basic practice. I'm wondering if there are still dentists today that would not numb a patient up for any reason unless its tooth being pulled?

Do some dentists today practice NOT using local anesthesia AT ALL except for extractions?
As a kid I had one do the same. Thanks to him %26amp; panic @ the word dentist!!! I strongly think mine did it to be a jerk.


Anyhow, sure it was to just be a jerk or was pocketing the extra money he saved by NOT using it. Thank god its not as bad as when we were kids! I get knocked out EVERY time I go these days! I love it!
Reply:Why didn't you SAY SOMETHING instead of letting him do that over and over again? I have never heard of such rubbish. He can't REFUSE to use Novocaine on a patient. If the patient requests it, they have to give it to them. You said you were a little kid and it was 25 years ago. I'm SURE he didn't refuse.
Reply:my dentist does not numb my gums before doing my teeth =there is a good reason though =I'm allergic to the Novocaine= both he and I are wondering what to do when it comes time to do a big filling or pulling a tooth as one can only have so much gas given to them
Reply:I hear you. If it hurts, I yell.