Providing a Pain-Free and Comfortable Experience
At times, dentists may need to perform more extensive procedures beyond routine cleanings and exams. To ensure your comfort, certain treatments may involve the use of local anesthetic medication to induce numbness, considering the sensitivity of your teeth and gums.
Novocain, a commonly known anesthetic used by dentists to numb patients' mouths, is no longer in use. Instead, modern dentists opt for safer and more efficient drugs like lidocaine. These drugs are often combined with other substances, such as vasoconstrictors, to enhance the anesthesia's effectiveness and duration.
Dentists use two types of local anesthetics to numb your mouth. The first is a topical anesthetic, applied to a small area on your mouth or gums. It is used to numb the injection site for the second type of anesthetic, which is injected to keep you pain-free.
What Is Local Anesthesia?
Local anesthesia is used to make a very small, specific area of your body temporarily unable to feel sensations, including pain. Examples of procedures requiring local anesthesia include fillings, crown placement & root canals.
- Local anesthesia is utilized to temporarily render a very small, specific area of your body insensitive to sensations, including pain.
- Procedures such as fillings, crown placements, and root canals often require the use of local anesthesia.
- A local anesthetic functions by blocking nerve cells in a specific area, preventing them from sending pain signals to your brain.
- Expect the numbness to last for two to four hours, which means you may experience residual numbness after your appointment.
- Prior to a procedure requiring local anesthesia, we will inquire about any allergies and medications you are taking. Depending on certain medical conditions, there may be a need for a different formula.
- If you have concerns or wish to learn more about our use of local anesthesia, feel free to call us.
Expectations
Although patients may already be numb from the topical anesthetic, they may still feel a stinging sensation during the injection. This sensation is actually an indication that the anesthetic is beginning to work as the drug enters the body. However, the stinging feeling typically subsides within a few seconds.
Side Effects
- Local anesthesia does have side effects, but they are typically not serious.
- A well-known side effect is a temporary rapid heartbeat, which may occur if the local anesthetic is inadvertently injected into a blood vessel.
- One of the chemicals in the local anesthetic injection is epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, which can travel directly from the blood vessel to the heart.
- Epinephrine is a naturally occurring substance in your body that can rapidly increase your heart rate. Although the fast heartbeat it causes can be alarming, it is not dangerous and should return to normal in a matter of seconds.
Numbness is experienced
After your appointment, numbness from anesthesia may last a few hours. Speaking and eating may be challenging. Be careful while biting and chewing to avoid accidentally biting your tongue or cheek. Temporary swelling or drooping in your mouth or face may occur. Some patients may have difficulty blinking, but the dentist can tape your eye shut to prevent dryness. Blinking will return to normal once the anesthesia wears off.