What You Need To Know About Getting Your Mouth Numb at the Dentist

What to Expect When Getting Your Mouth Numb at Your Greensboro Dentist

If you need local anesthesia for your dental treatment, for tooth extractions, fillings, or other oral surgery, the first step is to dry part of your mouth with air or cotton.

Then the dentist will swab the area with a lidocaine gel to numb the skin. When the dentist slowly injects the dental syringe of local anesthetic, most people don’t feel the needle. Instead, the slight sting most patients feel is the sensation of the anesthetic moving into the tissue and anesthetizing the nerve.

A local anesthesia injection can last for a few hours. After the appointment, you might find it hard to speak openly or adequately eat your food. Drinking from a straw will probably be messy, and you’ll need to be careful you don’t bite down on the numb area. If you’re not cautious, especially while eating, you could hurt yourself without noticing it.

How Long Does Dental Anesthesia Last?

According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, after being administered, anesthesia can stay in your system for up to 24 hours even if the numbing effects wear off. Drinking alcohol is not recommended for at least a day. This could interfere with your ability to operate heavy machinery, drive a car, watch children and make important decisions. Drinking while you’re on anesthesia can also sometimes cause respiratory problems, and your risk of breathing complications could go up. Your Triad area dentist will have specific details on the effects of your particular treatment, and the proper steps to take!

Dental Numbness Aftercare

After undergoing dental local anesthesia or general anesthesia at a local Greensboro dentist, you’ll be taken to a recovery room. Local anesthesia doesn’t usually require a recovery area because the recovery is typically briefer and spent in the dental chair.

As you heal from your dental procedure, be sure to keep the following in mind:

• Bleeding is normal. If you had dental surgery to remove wisdom teeth, be assured that some bleeding the day after are perfectly normal. Try not to spit too much too because you don’t want to dislodge the blood clot from the socket. Also, make sure to replace your gauze over the extraction site.
• You may be able to manage the pain after your dental work with an over-the-counter pain control option such as Tylenol, or a topical analgesic gel such as benzocaine, but you may require a prescription pain medication from your dentist. Prescription pain medication is generally given if a bone has been removed during the procedure, and can be picked up from your regular North Carolina pharmacy.
• Holding an ice pack against your jaw may also alleviate pain and discomfort after dental treatments.
• If you’re dealing with swelling and bruising, use an ice pack for as long as the dentist recommends. If your cheeks are swelling, this usually gets better in two or three days. However, bruising may take a few more days to heal.
• Plan to rest and take it easy for the rest of the day after your procedure. Avoid strenuous activity that could loosen the blood clot from the socket for at least a week.
• Drink a lot of water after the surgery and avoid alcoholic, carbonated, caffeinated, or hot beverages for a day after the surgery. Also, avoid drinking from a straw for at least a week because the sucking action could also dislodge the blood clot from the socket.

Getting your mouth numb at the dentist for the first time can seem scary and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be if you’re prepared. If you have any lingering questions or apprehensions about getting your mouth numb, contact our Greensboro office today, and we’ll address your concerns in any way we can.

Our team of professional dentists is here to help craft the perfect smile, and our professional staff will help you maintain your dental hygiene and make you feel relaxed and comfortable about getting your mouth numb at the dentist.