So far for dental work anesthetics have always taken for me (or I've been knocked out, like when my wisdom teeth were pulled). I only brought it up because the foot happens to be another particularly sensitive area of the body. It's possible to get by without anesthetics, and you may (though I hope no one here ever has to find out) surprise yourself by how much you can tolerate while still remaining still for the procedure.

But in general, I think you're correct that dental work is harder. A bunch of stitches on the bottom of your foot, however, is still some sort of torture. The ones I've had on my head or arms or torso with other non-functioning anesthetics were far easier to take.

Holy crap am I glad I'm extra sensitive to painkillers' effects. For tooth work, I can easily get by on half a shot.

One thing few writers focus on, in terms of the post-apocalypse, is dental care. A cavity can literally kill you if it progresses far enough. David Brin actually addressed this in The Postman; maybe this is why everyone in post-apocalyptic television and most films has shiny white teeth - they know!

Whenever I read or hear about "preppers" or people preparing for a catastrophe, I've always wondered what their plan was for dental care. When I was in my early 20's, my wisdom teeth became impacted. My only symptom was a horrible upper respiratory infection that turned into pneumonia. Without antibiotics and then surgery to remove the teeth, I probably would have died.

And The Postman was a wonderful book.