Dental Anesthesia

Sneezing After Dental Work 09/21/2010

Question:

Yesterday afternoon I had some fillings done by my dentist. Most of the fillings were on the left side of my mouth. When I got home and the freezing started to come out my left nostril kept running and I couldn`t stop sneezing. Is this normal or should I be concerned

Answer:

Although this is not a typically recognized adverse effect of dental local anesthesia, I have had several complaints regarding these symptoms. I have heard of this from both anesthesia for back teeth and front teeth. 

For back teeth, it is possible that a group of nerves involved with nasal discharge (sphenopalatine ganglion) may have been affected. 

For the front teeth anesthesia, some irritation of the nasal mucosa by local anesthetic diffusing into the area may be the culprit. From the previous posts I have gotten, the symptoms do subside in short order. I do not think there is any cause for concern but if your symptoms persist into the next day, you should at least contact your dentist. 

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Response by:

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