i just got a cavity filled and i wanted to know how long it takes
2007-03-14 10:57:31 · 4 answers · asked by Julia 2 in Health ➔ Dental
I'm a dentist.
Novocaine is no longer available as a local anesthetic. Lidocaine and Articaine are most commonly used now.
Lidocaine (usually found with epinephrine) lasts around one to two hours, gradually wearing off. Articaine, also with epinephrine, is a bit shorter.
Now, when I say "lasts", that's an experienced-based evaluation of these anesthetics and the duration of time in which patients are "numb" enough for me to work on them. Obviously, more technical and careful evaluations of the drugs half-lives exist.
2007-03-14 12:04:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I have had dental work done it has taken about 5 hours to get " un-numb" . But then I am hard to numb and usually get a combination of Lidocaine and Carbocaine.....and usually twice as many shots as are normally given to others !
2007-03-14 18:24:16 · answer #2 · answered by RedHairedTempest 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the US they no longer make or use novocaine. Novocaine is a brand name that is no longer used. It depends on which drug they actually did use on you. Each drug has different lengths of time in which they last. So call your dentist and ask but it should wear off by bedtime or by tomorrow morning.
2007-03-14 12:26:49 · answer #3 · answered by Educated 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would depend on the dosage but typically it will wear off within a few hours
2007-03-14 11:01:42 · answer #4 · answered by backdraft51185 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋