Dentists use anesthesia or Novocain to numb your gums before dental surgery, also affecting your lips, jaws, and a small part of your ears. The condition may be okay if you need to head to your home, but not when you have an official meeting ahead, where you may unknowingly make weird faces that wouldn’t be too professional.
With this scenario under consideration begs the question, ‘how long does dental numbing last?’ To answer this question, you first need to know the places your dentist might administer a dose of anesthesia or Novocain.
It’s because the duration of the numbness varies in every area. Therefore, here is the list of dental procedures that require numbing for treatment. Later will come the timeframe the numbness may last and what practices allow you to eliminate it.
What Dental Procedures Require Numbing?
Following are the procedures that require a dentist to numb certain areas of your mouth, allowing them to carry out the treatment without letting you feel anything.
- Tooth extractions
- Fillings
- Cosmetic surgeries
- Root canals
Depending on the type of procedure, your dentist may inject a dose of anesthesia lasting until the late completion of the activity, which may range from 1 to 5 hours at max.
It’s because the base effects of numbness generally fade away after their calculated durations, but it’s the persisting intensity that instigates you on learning how long does numbing last after dental work.
With that said, here’s the answer to your question, followed by the methods to wear off the numbness relatively faster.
How Long Does the Tooth Extraction Numbing Last?
Tooth extraction can be way painful if done without anesthesia, which is why your dentist administers a dose to your gums that lets you get over the extraction with a smiley face, though the aftermath is completely opposite.
However, now that your gums are numb, you cannot expect them to be normal for as low as two and as many as five hours. At times, it may last even longer if your dentist injects a painkiller that would reduce the pain but add to the lasting numbness.
How Long Does the Filling Numbing Last?
The dental filling is a minor procedure, which could as well be done without numbing the area. However, some treatments might involve painful complexities that may lead your dentist to inject a dose of anesthesia to complete the procedure.
In this case, you can expect the numbness to last up to three hours at max, with minor discomforts while chewing and swallowing the food stiff in nature.
Read More: How Long Do Fillings Last After Treatment?
How Long Does the Cosmetic Dentistry Numbing Last?
Cosmetic Dentistry ranges from teeth whitening to a complete teeth replacement, and the effects of numbness last accordingly.
For instance, after the procedure of teeth whitening, you may experience numbness for the late 48 hours. However, with the teeth replacement, the numbing may last up to 3 days, with minimal or no effects on the last day.
Related: What is a Bone Graft Dental Procedure?
How Long Does the Root Canal Numbing Last?
Because root canal deals with removing the infected or contaminated tooth, it requires more hours of numbing, which your dentist will acknowledge from you and will then inject the anesthesia to numb your tooth for up to six hours.
Your doctor will also advise you against eating solid items and stick to a liquid diet for a day or two.
How Can You Wear Off Dental Numbing Faster?
You don’t have to continue with the numbness to its maximum lasting. There are the following ways you can practice to push it to wear out faster and make your condition better.
Partaking in a Physical Activity
Ever wondered how does numbing work? It slows down the blood flow into that area while putting it to sleep and overtaking the control from you. To counter that, many doctors suggest taking part in physical activity or doing something that pumps up the blood pressure to break the effects of anesthesia and that fades the numbness faster.
Gentle Massaging
Massaging a numb area promotes the increased flow of blood, which allows you to feel normal without waiting for four to six hours for the numbness to fade away naturally. However, we’d suggest massaging the surroundings and not the area treated, for you may feel pain or discomfort that may lead to severe outcomes.
Compress the Area
If you don’t feel any pain or discomfort after the dental procedure, you may also compress the area with something warm. It will allow that part of the body to conduct heat, which will help with the faster breakdown of numbness, further resulting in comfort and satisfaction.
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Conclusion
Dental numbing may last somewhere between 1 to 48 hours. You need to consult your dentist on the ways to wear it off faster or practice the methods defined in this guide. In either case, you will start feeling better, with the added satisfaction of finally getting over your oral discomfort, which has been keeping you away from a great deal of activities.
That’s how long does it take dental numbing last, you may also like to read our guide on how long do dental implants last, which also answers the FAQs on if the implants are better than bridges, crowns, and dentures.