Dr. Terry Hughes can put just one tooth to sleep before he drills instead of numbing half a person's mouth.

He is also handling control of his drill to the patient, using a "dental button," 10TV News reported.

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"If I push the pedal to start (the drill) again, it won't start until my assistant on the other side of the chair pushes another pedal to reactivate it," Hughes said.

Melissa Cruikshank, a patient, said that she likes the button.

"Instead of having to raise your hand or get their attention, (the dentist) could stop and know I needed more Novocain," Cruikshank said.

It is estimated that half the U.S. population won't see a dentist because of anxiety over treatment. 

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