dental anesthetics and dry eye symptoms

[eva b]

Has anyone experienced temporary increase in symptoms after having dental work done?

I've had two fairly big jobs done in the last 2 weeks and my eyes definitely feel drier and grittier. I know dental work can affect the sinuses, so I wonder if it can also affect our eyes?

any experiences to share?

[ALK-O'd]

Uuugh...Your timing couldn't be any more perfect for me. I'm going for a filling tomorrow!!

I'm not a doctor, but I think it's probably just a coincidence.

However, I'll report back tomorrow after my "jackhammering" and let you know if I notice any noticeable deviation from my usual symptoms.

[kitty]

I am a nurse, not a doctor. I do have enough knowledge to toss a theory out there. Sometimes dentists add epinephrine with the Lidocaine when administering dental anesthesia. Epinephrine is a vasoconstrictor, which narrows your blood vessels and helps the anesthetic's effect last longer. Epinephrine is also found in some eye drops used to treat glaucoma. Those drops reduce the amount of fluid inside of the eye. A side effect of epinephrine on the eye is a burning sensation. One could conclude that enough of the epinephrine could get into the tissues to cause some dry eye side effects. For me, I always notice increased dryness after a trip to the dentist. I always attributed it to not being able to use drops as often and the fans blowing on me. I never really thought about the epinephrine. Many of my visits don't involve anesthesia. You can ask your dentist not to use epinephrine or other vasoconstrictor and see if there is a difference as compared to when you were administered an anesthetic with it. I know that some people experience a racing heart from the epinephrine and for that reason they ask not to be administered the drug.

[Lucy]

Does everyone keep their eyes closed like me during my dental work? Cleanings and more lengthy stuff, too.

[kitty]

Does everyone keep their eyes closed like me during my dental work? Cleanings and more lengthy stuff, too.

I used to until I found a dentist I am comfortable with. Now I can relax and tend to keep my eyes open more often than not. Besides, he has movies/TV on overhead monitors to watch during treatment.

[eva b]

Sometimes dentists add epinephrine with the Lidocaine when administering dental anesthesia. Epinephrine is a vasoconstrictor, which narrows your blood vessels and helps the anesthetic's effect last longer. .

thanks kitty, this makes a lot of sense. The last visit involved a block injection, which lasted over 5 hours before the feeling came back in my mouth (he was doing some deep work)...but I guess, overall, I'd rather cope with a temporary increase in dryness than the pain of the drill

thanks to all the rest of you for your replies as well.

Lucy...my dentist hands out dark wrap-around goggles when he's working on you - I don't get movies to watch, but he does give me a couple of squeezy balls to hold to help me relax, as well as Rescue remedy!

[ALK-O'd]

Hi Eva. I promised I'd report back after my dental work today so here I am. Unfortunately though, I don't have much light to shed as apparently my cavity was small enough that the dentist only used a local Ambesol-like topical gel as an anesthetic instead of an injection. My eyes don't feel any different than they do on any other day.

The good news is I was out of there in 10 minutes!

[eva b]

well, at least you've been spare one kind of discomfort

thanks for the follow-up!