"That wasn't bad at all."
Medically reviewed by Dr. Junsang Lee (DDS · Director, 365 E-LOOK Dental) | Last updated: June 2026
Sometimes, after we finish a treatment and the patient gets up from the chair, they tell me this. Others are more direct: “I was so worried — how was that it?”
There’s nothing quite as rewarding as hearing that. It’s not a grand compliment — just an honest expression of the gap between what they feared and what actually happened. In that simple phrase, both the patient’s anxiety and their quiet relief come through.
The dentist's office is still a frightening place
I don’t think of this as a negative thing. The drilling sound during a childhood filling, the sting of an anesthetic injection, the awkwardness of holding your mouth open for what felt like forever — these memories stay with us. They don’t easily fade, even into adulthood.
When patients tell me why they’ve avoided the dentist, the reason most often isn’t cost or time. It’s “I was afraid it would hurt.” So they postpone once, then again, and what could have been a small cavity becomes a root canal — or sometimes, eventually, an extraction.
The reason we focus on pain management is simple. We want our patients to stop being afraid of the dentist. When someone experiences “that wasn’t as bad as I expected” once, their next routine cleaning feels less daunting. They come back sooner, we catch small problems early, and their long-term oral health is preserved.
Managing pain isn’t just about making a procedure more comfortable. It’s about changing the patient’s relationship with dental care.
Five things we actually do
1. We start with topical anesthetic
Before any anesthetic injection, we apply a numbing gel to the surface of the gum tissue. We wait — anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute — and then administer the injection. Because the surface is already numb, the “pinch” of the needle is significantly reduced.
We also use anesthetic rinses for gentler procedures like routine cleanings. Patients with sensitive gums often find scaling uncomfortable even without other treatment, and a numbing rinse makes a noticeable difference.
2. We use a computer-controlled slow-injection system
A traditional anesthetic injection delivers the medication based on the practitioner’s hand pressure. When the medication is injected too quickly, it builds up pressure in the tissue — and that pressure registers as pain.
Our computer-controlled system delivers anesthetic at a slow, steady rate. The tissue receives less pressure, and patients experience much less discomfort. When we first introduced this equipment, many patients told us, “I didn’t even realize I’d been injected.” It surprised us, too.
3. We use minimally invasive techniques for surgical procedures
In surgical procedures like implant placement or wisdom tooth extraction, the amount of incision and bone removal directly affects post-operative pain and recovery time.
We plan precisely using 3D CT imaging before every surgery, so we only make incisions and remove bone where strictly necessary. Even with the same implant placement, a smaller incision means less swelling, faster gum healing, and significantly less pain afterward.
The same applies to impacted wisdom tooth extractions. Rather than making large incisions to gain easy access, we approach the tooth precisely. That’s why so many of our wisdom tooth patients tell us, “I expected much more swelling than I had.”
4. We apply antibiotic gel after gum treatment
For patients undergoing deep gum treatment (scaling and root planing), we apply a minocycline-based antibiotic gel directly into the periodontal pockets. It accelerates healing and reduces post-treatment inflammation and discomfort.
This makes the days after gum treatment significantly more comfortable. Managing pain isn’t only about the procedure itself — it includes how the patient feels in the days that follow.
5. We always tell patients they can raise their hand
When you’re lying in the dental chair with your mouth open and instruments in the way, it’s hard to say “wait a moment” or “I’m uncomfortable.”
So before every procedure, we tell our patients: “If anything is uncomfortable, just raise your hand. We’ll stop immediately and add more anesthetic.” That single sentence noticeably reduces tension. The feeling that “I’m in control of my own pain” actually reduces the pain itself.
Beyond the techniques
But these technical methods aren’t enough on their own.
I believe the real key to managing pain is time. The minute for the topical anesthetic to work, the thirty seconds for the injection to be delivered slowly — when we rush past these, the patient pays in pain.
Explanation matters too. A procedure you receive without knowing what’s happening feels different from one you understand. The brain interprets unpredictable sensations as more painful. Just saying “I’m about to give you the injection now — the surface is already numb, so you shouldn’t feel much” reduces the patient’s experience of pain.
In the end, pain management isn’t really about equipment or technique. It’s about whether we make the time to be considerate of the patient.
Back to "That wasn't bad at all"
When a patient says “that wasn’t bad” after their treatment, I quietly think the same thought every time:
“This patient won’t put off their dental care next time.”
That’s what brings me the most satisfaction. A single positive experience can change someone’s entire relationship with dental care.
Dental treatment is uncomfortable for everyone. Making that discomfort a little smaller — so that patients are less afraid the next time they come in — is the real reason we put time into managing pain.
Every day in the chair, I’m still waiting to hear someone’s “that wasn’t bad.”
— Dr. Junsang Lee
This article is for general informational purposes only. Treatment methods and outcomes vary depending on each individual’s oral condition. The survival rates mentioned are research findings and do not guarantee individual treatment outcomes. All procedures carry the possibility of individual variation and complications. Diagnosis and treatment plans must be determined through consultation with your treating clinician.
