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Local Anesthesia


A patient in dental chair shaking her hands with a dental assistant.Your comfort is important to us. We want to help you receive the dental care you need without pain or soreness. The most common pain reliever we use is known as a local anesthetic. It provides a numbing sensation that is localized to the treatment area. It’s use prevents the patient from feeling pain both during and immediately following treatment. At Dallas Oral Surgery Associates, your comfort comes first in the dental care we provide. We are here to help.

Local anesthetics are administered through injection in the gums or cheek tissue. It will serve as a nerve blocker to eliminate sensation of the immediate area for the patient, they will instead feel a numbing of the area. Traditionally, novocain was used for local anesthetics, but today we use a safer alternative known as lidocaine. It allows us to inject less in volume and has been shown to have less negative reactions. In general, the injection provided for a local anesthetic is considered safe though we advise our patients to inform us of any allergies or medications they are taking.

When would a local anesthetic be used?


We can reduce pain and discomfort using a local anesthetic. The most common procedures when a local anesthetic is used include:
•  Scaling and Root Planing for Gum Disease
•  Removal of decay or caries associated with a cavity
•  Root Canal Therapy

What to Expect


We use a local anesthetic to reduce discomfort during a dental treatment. We begin with the application of a numbing gel on the skin. This will help the patient not feel the injection. We then place the injection in the tissue around the area. The number of injections or amount given will vary. The medication can take a few minutes to spread and induce the numbing sensation. Once the patient is numb, treatment can begin.

Following your dental treatment, you may still feel numb for several hours. This can be both beneficial and frustrating. The benefit is not feeling pain while the tissue is healing or inflamed. The downside includes not eating or chewing while numb.

Other Pain Relief Options


In addition to local anesthetic, we have multiple conscious sedation options available. They are designed to reduce pain and help the patient feel more relaxed. Options include:
•  Nitrous Oxide: Known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is delivered as an inhalant. We place a mask over your nose and ask that you breathe it in. Nitrous oxide is blended with oxygen to help reduce stress and relax muscles. The effects of nitrous oxide generally subside within minutes of removing the mask.
•  Oral Medications: We have multiple oral medications that can be used to induce relaxation including in pill form or drink.
•  IV Sedation: In some cases, we can arrange for conscious IV sedation for larger procedures. This can be discussed with our team for more information.

If you are feeling concerned or nervous about your dental treatment, talk to a member of our team. We have options to help. Call us today at 214-363-9946!

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Dallas Oral Surgery Associates, 8315 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 225, Dallas, TX 75231 ~ 214-363-9946 ~ dallasoralsurgeryassociates.com ~ 1/9/2025 ~ Page Terms:dental implants North Dallas ~