After leaving the dentist’s clinic, you may feel dental numbing for 1 – 2 hours on average. But in some rare cases, your mouth will be numb for up to 5 hours. However, anything more than that could be a sign of something serious so that you need to contact your dentist immediately.
Now, let’s understand why dental numbing happens.
Before any dental treatment, dentists are required to give you a dose of anaesthesia to numb the specific area so that you do not feel the pain or have to go through the excruciating experience of dental procedures. In this article, you will learn about numbing and usually how long it takes for the numbing to last after a procedure.
Local anaesthesia lets you stay awake. However, you cannot feel any pain or have any sensation of the treatment inside your mouth. Novocaine and similar drugs are used during tooth removal or filling a cavity. Novocaine is popular among the local anaesthesia drugs because it lasts longer and gives a prolonged numbness after dental work.
What is Novocaine used for?
Novocaine is local anaesthesia, commonly called Procaine. It is generally used in specific dental regions around a tooth to help numb the vicinity. This helps you to undergo the dental procedure without realizing the pain otherwise.
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How is Novocaine injected?
The procedure involves the doctor initially drying your mouth using air or cotton balls. After that, he applies a numbing gel before injecting the anaesthesia into the region surrounding the affected tooth. Upon injection, you feel a slight stinge, not because of the syringe but because of the anaesthesia making its way into the tissue. Within a few minutes, the drug starts working, and your mouth will be numb.
You may feel slight pressure but won’t feel any pain. Once the anaesthesia wears off, your tooth will first feel the sensation, followed by your lips and tongue.
What is the duration of Novocaine?
Generally, the effect of Novocaine lasts for 30 to 60 minutes. However, if the anaesthesia is given alongside adrenaline, such as epinephrine, the duration could go on for a prolonged 90 minutes.
You have to note that just like other drugs, even Novocaine’s effect may change owing to several factors.
- Your habbits: The effect and duration may depend on your personal habits, which includes your medication, your sensitivity, and other conditions such as if you are prone to pseudocholinesterase deficiency. Novocaine usually works better on people with the latter condition.
- The dose: It depends on why you are taking anaesthesia. Suppose it is for dental surgery, tooth extraction, etc. Accordingly, the dose will vary, and so will the effect.
- Epinephrine: As mentioned, epinephrine is adrenaline which narrows the blood vessels, reducing the blood flow around the region and thus, confining Novocaine to the very area.
- Infected teeth: If your tooth is already infected, causing the tissues to be acidic and inflammatory, Novocaine may not be effective. In such cases, dentists usually take a higher dose of anaesthesia.
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Guide to wear off Novocaine fast
If you don’t see any sign of swelling or pain, you can try messaging gently to increase blood circulation. Moreover, you can also try light exercises like walking, running, or cycling after consulting with your dentist. These physical activities will make numbness go away within a few minutes. Last but not least, you can apply a warm compress to improve the blood flow in the affected areas.
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What are the side effects of the dentist’s numbing shots?
Among the several local anaesthesia drugs, Novocaine is preferable because of its long-lasting numbing duration and is quite safe. You may, however, feel a few side effects that are general to any local anaesthesia.
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Muscle ache
- Drowsiness
Or in severe cases, the symptoms could show allergic reactions, such as:
- Swelling
- Loss of consciousness
- Difficulty in breathing
However, the extreme side effects are rare to see. Make sure that if you or someone you know suffers from chest pain, trembling, irregular heartbeats soon after the dosage, you need urgent medical attention.
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FAQs Related to Dental Numbing
1. How long does it take for anaesthesia to wear off after tooth extraction?
It may take up to an hour or two generally to wear off. Once it does, your teeth will regain their sensitivity. Your lips and tongue, however, will require a bit longer to recover.
2. How to get rid of numbness after the dentist?
It generally takes an hour or two to wear off naturally. However, it could be annoying to have your lips and tongue numb and not functioning properly even after your dental work. In such cases, you may resort to some ways to wear off the numbness faster. You can always go for a walk or do some activity that will help increase your blood circulation. Once your blood flow increases, it will pressure the drug and flow along, taking it into its bloodstream. You will have to consult your dentist before you resort to such vigorous activities.
3. How long does numbing last after the root canal?
Novocaine generally takes 30-60 minutes to wear off once the root canal is done. However, your lips, cheek, and tongue will stay numb for a longer time, possibly up to 3-4 hours. Remember not to take any hold or cold beverages while you are numb.
4. How long does dental anaesthesia last?
Dental anaesthesia may last up to 1-2 hours, depending on the dose, your tooth infection, and your overall health.
5. How to make Novocaine wear off faster?
If you want to wear it off faster, you can engage in physical activity, such as walking or jogging, upon your doctor’s consultations. Once you do, your heart will pump faster, increasing the blood flow and thus, boosting the circulation, which will help wash away the drug.
6. How long does Lidocaine last?
Lidocaine, another local anaesthesia, can last for 30 minutes up to 3 hours, depending on the dose and the infection of your tooth.
7. Mouth still numb after 5 hours?
Your lips, cheeks, and tongue will eventually recover from the numbness once your teeth regain their normalcy. However, if your mouth still feels numb even after 5 hours, you should consult your dentist and explain the situation.
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Conclusion
Hopefully, we have answered all of your questions related to the dental numbing conditions. If your condition is different, please call your dentist and book an appointment as soon as possible. It is better to get yourself treated by a reputed dentist in your area.
