Dental Anesthesia

Novacaine Drip 09/04/2009

Question:

Can you become physically ill (diarrhea) from swallowing too much from a novacaine drip from 3 days before? I am a very healthy female with no allergies and the taste was absolutely terrible - and on top of that the left side of my face and nose went numb. That has NEVER happened to me before. Is this normal? Was the dentist careless?

Answer:

The effects of local anesthesia are very short-lived so diarrhea three days after a dental visit would not be from the medication. 

There are two ways the local anesthetic can "drip" down the throat. One is that sometimes when injecting in the upper jaw, the anesthetic can be under pressure and squirt out. Just a very little bit can numb your throat and tongue but it feels like a lot with the swelling that occurs. 

Also, many dentists apply topical anesthetic, a gel that numbs the tissue before needle insertion. This is to increase your comfort. Sometimes, the gel liquifies enough to drip in the same way. It is extremely unlikely that any significant amount of medication, if any, was actually ingested. It is very, very bitter due to the acidity but other than that, there should be no adverse effects. 

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Response by:

Steven I Ganzberg, SB, DMD, MS Former Clinical Professor of Dentistry College of Dentistry The Ohio State University