Anesthesia less effective during dental work?

[Anonymous]

I had a filling recently, my first in years. The dentist took 4 separate and awful shots to numb me, and it took at least 4.5 hours for me to feel somewhat normal, and the numbness expanded across more than half my face before it went away.

She said that some people can’t be anesthetized the same way as they were as younger people. Is there anything I can say to a new dentist to hopefully avoid this in the future? Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I had the exact same scenario as you! After one shot of Novocaine, they said "let us know if you still feel anything," and I could feel everything! So they gave me three more shots (how they decided to go from 1 to 4 was beyond me) and then like you, it was hours before my face felt normal, even though I was told I could eat/drink in 30-45 min.

[Anonymous]

Just tell them your previous experience and hopefully you don’t need dental work in the future.

[Anonymous]

Did you have an infection? We were told by my dad’s oral surgeon that novacaine will not work if there is an active infection in the mouth. My poor dad was in agony during the procedure

[Anonymous]

I had the first filling in about 25 years and only took one shot and was completely numb. What the heck about some people not reacting like they did when they were young? Is that true?

[Anonymous]

This happened to me before years ago. When I needed dental work more recently, I pre-medicated myself with ibuprofen but the numbing shots worked.

One of my parents has red hair and I wonder if that’s why. I have brown hair. Or maybe the dentist was missing the right spot that day. Who knows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you have an infection? We were told by my dad’s oral surgeon that novacaine will not work if there is an active infection in the mouth. My poor dad was in agony during the procedure

I’m so sorry for your poor dad. I didn’t have an infection- OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you have an infection? We were told by my dad’s oral surgeon that novacaine will not work if there is an active infection in the mouth. My poor dad was in agony during the procedure

I’m so sorry for your poor dad. I didn’t have an infection- OP

Thank you so much for your kind words. -PP

[Anonymous]

I had the same issue recently. It took 4 shots. I did not have an infection.

[Anonymous]

You might this interesting, according to AI, dentists don’t use novacaine as much now and are using better alternatives?

. I always presumed my dentist was using novacaine! Worth clarifying if that’s what was used?



“Novocaine isn't less effective now; it's largely replaced by safer, faster, and stronger anesthetics like lidocaine because Novocaine caused more allergic reactions, worked slower, and was less potent, with the term "Novocaine" becoming a generic name for dental numbing shots, even though the drug isn't used much in dentistry anymore.

Dentists now prefer drugs that numb quicker, last longer, and carry lower allergy risks, making procedures smoother for patients.

Why Novocaine Was Replaced
Allergic Reactions: Novocaine (procaine) had a higher chance of causing severe allergic reactions, including breathing or movement issues, for some people.

Slow Onset: It took longer to start working, meaning patients waited longer in the chair.
Weaker Effect: It wasn't as powerful or long-lasting as newer options, requiring more frequent applications.

What Dentists Use Now
Lidocaine (Xylocaine): This is the most common replacement, offering faster action, greater potency, and less risk of allergy.
Articaine (Septocaine): Another popular choice, particularly for deeper numbing.
Mepivacaine (Carbocaine): Used for patients who need to avoid epinephrine.

The "Novocaine" Misconception
People still use "Novocaine" as a catch-all term for getting numb at the dentist, but it's usually one of the newer, superior anesthetics they're receiving.
In short, it's not that Novocaine got worse; it's that modern dentistry has found much better tools for the job.”

[Anonymous]

it wears off quicker if a) you have an acid stomach and b) if you're very adrenalized.

take a tums and a Xanax first

[Anonymous]

whatever the shots are don't fully work on me, I get gas. best thing ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:whatever the shots are don't fully work on me, I get gas. best thing ever.

You could try GasX.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:whatever the shots are don't fully work on me, I get gas. best thing ever.

You could try GasX.

Pretty sure they mean nitrous oxide. That was a game changer for me too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This happened to me before years ago. When I needed dental work more recently, I pre-medicated myself with ibuprofen but the numbing shots worked.

One of my parents has red hair and I wonder if that’s why. I have brown hair. Or maybe the dentist was missing the right spot that day. Who knows.

Being a ginger definitely makes it less effective! It’s practically impossible for them to get me numb. And I have horrid teeth, so it’s really not fun. I don’t know that’s it’s worse now as an adult though - it’s just always been bad. I always pre-medicate myself with a combo of ibuprofen and Tylenol, which does seem to help a bit.

The radiologist who did my breast biopsy was a ginger and thankfully understood how to get things super numbed up.