DENTIST ANESTHETIC

• Commonly Used Dentist Anesthetics
• Upper vs Lower Teeth
• Oraqix, Dental Anesthetics for Periodontal Use
• Epinephrine
• Allergies
• Anesthetics and Root Canal Treated Teeth

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LOCAL ANESTHETICS were a wonderful invention. They allow dental procedures which would otherwise be UNBEARABLE, to be performed in complete comfort.

Some of the commonly used dentist anesthetics are,

• Lidocaine
• Septocaine
• Carbocaine
• Citanest
• Marcaine

Novocaine is a generic term for dental anesthetic, but is no longer used on a general scale.

The ROOF OF THE MOUTH is usually quite painful, but luckily does not need to be anesthetized for most routine dental work, with the exception of EXTRACTIONS.

LOWER TEETH: Anesthetizing the lower teeth is usually done by BLOCKING one nerve. This nerve innervates the whole side, as well as half of the tongue and lower lip. As the diagram shows below, the inferior alveolar nerve enters a foramen near the back of the mouth, which is where the dentist anesthetic is administered.

There is also a mental nerve, which is a branch of the inferior alveolar nerve, which exits from the mental foramen. This nerve is also often anesthetized.

ORAQIX: Oraqix is a local dental anesthetic that is administered without a needle in the periodontal pockets, and sometimes can be adequate for scaling and root planing.

It is quick acting and lasts only about 30 minutes so you do not have to be numb hours after your appointment is done.

EPINEPHRINE: This is a substance which is NATURALLY PRODUCED BY YOUR BODY. So, if you think you are allergic to it, you are not. EVERYBODY produces it. EVERYBODY.

This, or similar component, is commonly mixed with dental anesthetics in a very minute quantity. This causes the anesthetic to be more PROFOUND, as well as longer lasting.

EPINEPHRINE IN PATIENTS WITH HEART CONDITIONS:

WHY NOT TO USE IT: Epinephrine can cause an increase in blood pressure, so some argue that it should not be used in patients with certain heart conditions. On the other hand, the amount in the anesthetic is MINIMAL compared to the amount the body produces in times of STRESS.

WHY TO USE IT: Since EPINEPHRINE makes the dental anesthetics more PROFOUND, some think that without the epinephrine in the anesthetic, the patient will not be as NUMB, and thus more STRESSED, causing the body to produce MORE epinephrine, which in turn could strain the heart more than the negligible amount in the anesthetic.

ALLERGIES: It is POSSIBLE to be allergic to certain anesthetics, but it is VERY UNCOMMON. If you did have a bad experience with an anesthetic, it was probably WHERE the anesthetic was administered, rather than WHAT was administered.

Novocaine was an anesthetic that was used many years ago, but is no longer used. It was what is called an ester type of anesthetic, which did have some allergic reactions.

Lidocaine, which is probably the most widely used dentist anesthetic, and most of the other dentist anesthetics today are amide type anesthetics, which have shown to have almost no allergic reactions.

POSSIBLE EXPERIENCES:

If the anesthetic is administered directly INTO A BLOOD VESSEL, you may feel your heart race for a minute.

If the needle HITS THE NERVE, you may feel a TWINGE down the are where the nerve innervates. This happens much more commonly on the lower, which may cause a shooting sensation down your lip and tongue.

ROOT CANAL TREATED TEETH :

Teeth that have had root canals no longer have nerves, and therefore no longer have any sensation (or should not). Because of this, teeth that have had root canals do not need to be anesthetized prior to having work done.

If the gums are going to be involved however, sometimes a dental anesthetic is necessary. But, if you don't like to get numb (and don't like the shots), see if your dentist will treat it without anesthetic. DENTIST ANESTHETIC .