Anesthetics are used to numb the pain that is caused during any surgical procedure. Dental treatments also involve anesthetics for extractions, root canal treatments, and many other treatments. Most of you must have experienced that numbness in your mouth after a procedure and wondered what makes the mouth feel huge while it looks normal! Eating and even talking becomes a challenge till it wears out. Let us help you find answers to the most popular question on anesthetics used for Dental treatments.
Why do Dentists use anesthetics for Dental Treatments?
Dental anesthesia was around for hundreds of years and in fact, Dentists were the first to administer a natural anesthisia for a peripheral nerve block. Like any other surgery, Dental treatments are painful and thus safe local anesthetics are injected to help the patient undergo a comfortable treatment. They help numb the region around the teeth for a while thus reducing anxiety and pain, https://nygoodhealth.com/product/xanax/.
How do they administer the anesthetic?
The region to be treated is dried off using a cotton swab or air. Once done, the surface is coated with a ‘topical anesthetic’ that will numb the gingiva. This is to ready the region for the local anesthetic injection. While injecting, the discomfort felt is not due to the needle but the anesthetic diffusing into the tissue. Usually, the effect is felt immediately or in a very short while after the injection.
When should the anesthetic wear off?
Depending on the type of anesthetic given and the duration of the procedure, the anesthetic should wear off within a few hours after the treatment. Sometimes it could also wear off during the treatment and it should be immediately conveyed to the Dentist. Any frequent discomfort during the treatment could be signs of the numbness wearing off. You should also inform your Dentist if the effect of the anesthesia doesn’t wear off for a long time.
Are there any side effects for these anesthetics?
Side effects for local anesthetics are quite rare. But here are a few things that you should be wary of.
- Sometimes the effect can affect other parts of your face – your eyelid or your mouth maybe be drooping. This will regain normalcy when the effect wears off
- If the needle of the injection touches or ruptures a nerve, there could be hematoma or the nerve could cause pain for several days till it heals.
What is the most popularly used anesthetic?
People mostly assume ‘Novocaine’ as the anesthetic used for Dental treatments although it is no longer in use. Advanced anesthetics like lidocaine, articaine are popularly used now. Usually, the Dentist uses the agents in combinations depending on the treatment and the condition of the patient.
