Is it only in America that dentists numb your teeth before drilling ?

I have recently moved from the U.S to Slovakia, and here the concept of numbing teeth before drilling is completely foreign over here. People in Slovakia think there is nothing wrong with having teeth drilled without anesthesia being administered. My grandparents claim they have never heard of anyone being numbed before getting a tooth drilled. Even if you request anesthesia, the dentists here are horrible with numbing you. You can still feel the excruciating pain... I have very sensitive teeth so this country's dental care system is hell on earth for me. Do they numb teeth in Western Europe before the drilling process ? Is it just that Slovakia is a backward country ? I hope the rest of Europe doesn't have such a crude dental care system as Slovakia ...
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It's standard in the UK to numb the area before drilling although I know some people refuse it and go without anaesthesia.
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