Scheduling a dentist appointment can be scary for many people. This is partly because of the involvement of sharp instruments in one of the most sensitive areas of the human body. Another reason can be due to bad experiences or anxiety related to the past. However, visiting your dentist is essential to upkeep your oral health. Nowadays, dentists are well equipped with dental numbing solvents, transforming painless treatments into pain-free ones.
For some people, dental numbness can cause difficulty in speaking or performing other mouth functions. Therefore, many of you wonder, “how long does dental numbness last?”
Anesthesia or dental numbness is commonly used for procedures that would otherwise be quite painful for patients to bear, including tooth extractions, dental implants, and root canals. It is also useful for some routine procedures, like dental fillings, and for patients who suffer from dental anxiety.
Well, it’s normal to experience numbness after anesthesia. However, its after-effects may vary for each patient. Read along to find how long you should expect to stay numb after anesthesia and what to do for prolonged numbness. Let’s get started!
How Long Will Your Mouth Stay Numb After a Filling or Extraction?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The numbness following a dental procedure will vary depending on the type of procedure. Moreover, other factors also play a role in how long you will be numbed. These factors include your weight, height, and the pace at which your body metabolizes anesthesia. For a cavity filling, your numbness should wear off within 1-3 hours. In the meantime, you may experience some difficulty while speaking and chewing.
The time anesthesia takes to wear off also depends on where in your mouth you had work done. This is because your bottom jaw has a large nerve block. And so, it is more susceptible to pain and manages sensations to other areas of your face.
Generally, your mouth, cheeks, lips, and tongue can take anywhere between 2 and 5 hours to wear numbness off. But remember that you won’t be able to speak clearly or eat properly during this time. To stay safe, we advise you to avoid eating after you experience dental numbness and not to go to work or a date for some time.
And if you get hungry, it’s advisable to stick to soft foods that don’t require much chewing. This will reduce the likelihood of injuring your cheeks or tongue.
What Should I Do If Prolonged Numbness Occurs?
The numbness effects usually wear off with increased blood flow. So going for a walk or doing any light physical activity can help speed up the recovery process. Another way to regulate blood flow to the numbed area is to hold a warm compress. But make sure it’s not too hot.
But if 5 hours have passed and your mouth is still numb, talk to your dentist. They may use an agent to reverse dental numbness. You can also visit Baytown Dentist. Our team is ready to help you.
I’m a content writer, an artist, and a mechanical engineer. My hobby is to read and write. https://kbizzsolutions.com/
