Local Anesthesia (Numbing)
The first step in most fillings, extractions, root canals, crowns, implant procedures, and more. Here's what to expect before, during, and as it wears off.
Getting numb before we start
Most procedures on this site start with numbing the area so you feel pressure and vibration but not pain. Today's dentists use lidocaine most often (sometimes articaine, mepivacaine, or bupivacaine). Not the old Novocaine people remember. A numbing gel is usually swabbed on first so you barely feel the injection itself.
Comfort without guesswork
Numbing the area lets your dentist work precisely and unhurried, without you feeling pain along the way, which makes for more thorough, more comfortable treatment, and a much better experience for you. It's worth noting that local anesthesia is different from sedation: local anesthetic only blocks pain at the treatment site, it doesn't affect your awareness or anxiety the way sedation does. For longer or more involved procedures, or if you're simply feeling anxious, the two are often used together.
Getting ready for an upcoming procedure and have questions about what numbing will feel like for you specifically? Get in touch. We're happy to talk it through beforehand.
Infiltration vs. nerve block
Exactly how numb you get, and for how long, depends on the type of anesthetic used, where it's injected, and how it's administered. There are two common approaches:
Infiltration. The most common technique for upper teeth and many lower front teeth. A small, localized area around the tooth is numbed: your lip, gum, and cheek near that specific tooth.
IANB (Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block). The most common technique for lower back teeth (molars/premolars), since one nerve supplies a wide area. This numbs an entire half of your lower jaw: your lip, chin, and often your tongue on that side, not just the tooth being worked on.
Once you leave the chair
First 1–5 hours: Numbness typically lasts 1 to 5 hours depending on the drug, dose, and site; lower jaw blocks tend to run longer than upper infiltrations. Until it wears off, avoid eating, drinking hot liquids, or chewing on that side. This is the most common way patients accidentally injure their tongue, cheek, or lip without realizing it, especially after a lower block where the tongue is also numb.
Once feeling returns: You're fine to eat and drink normally. If you had any other treatment done at the same visit, follow that procedure's specific guide from here.
Call us if: numbness persists well beyond the expected window for your procedure, or you notice signs of an allergic reaction (rash, itching, swelling, difficulty breathing. The last would be urgent).
A note on this guide: this is general guidance. Your treating doctor's specific instructions for your individual case always take priority over anything written here. If something feels off or you're unsure, call us. Don't wait it out.
Procedures that start here
Questions about your recovery?
We're always happy to talk through anything that feels uncertain. Never hesitate to call.