Most people couldn't imagine having dental work without anesthetics, but the drugs can leave you numb for hours. Advancements in the dentist's office could make that awkward feeling a thing of the past.
Denice Trevino doesn't mind the dentist's office, but she hates the numbness that lasts long after her appointment is over. One shot of anesthetic can numb your mouth for three to five hours.
Dentists are trying to ease the inconvenience by using a drug that reverses the effects of anesthetic. They inject right after their work is done.
"It causes vasodilation, so it makes those blood vessels dilate in the area, and the act of the dilation helps to reverse the affects of the anesthetic," said Vidya Sankar, DMD, MHS, Director of Oral Medicine Clinic at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
In clinical trials with four common dental anesthetics, the reversal agent got patients back to normal in about an hour, cutting recovery time in half.
"It shortens the length of anesthetic, soft tissue anesthesia, and return to normal function," said Sankar.
Thirty minutes after Denice's procedure.
"I can feel it's already starting to wear off, quicker than it usually would," she said.
Denice is feeling comfortable and confident and ready to get back to her busy life.
The FDA recently approved the anti-numbing agent for adults and for kids six and over. The treatment is generally not covered by insurance.
