How to stop numbness

5 Ways to Get Rid of Numbness After a Dental Procedure : Tompkins Dental: General Dentistry

A trip to the dentist for a routine filling, root canal, or other procedure will likely require a local anesthetic to numb the area and prevent you from feeling pain during your treatment. In most situations, the anesthesia your dentist uses will numb the tooth for 1 to 2 hours. Additionally, the following 3 to 5 hours may leave your lips, face, and tongue numb, which can be frustrating if you’re attempting to return to normal activities immediately following your appointment.

Having patience is the most common way to address the numbness as it will naturally wear away with time; however, these at-home remedies may help!

If no swelling is present, apply a warm compress to help increase blood flow to the affected area. In addition to using a warm compress, try massaging your lips to warm them, and increase blood flow. Avoid touching the treatment area directly, and always wash your hands before and after massaging your lips, mouth, and face.

Get Active

Ask your dentist if it’s safe to participate in physical activity following your dental procedure. Taking a brisk walk, going for a bike ride, or even tacking a few chores around the house will help to reduce numbness in a natural way. Being active stimulates blood flow in the body, which helps to carry the anesthesia away from the injection site. The encouraging movement will enable your body to break down and metabolize the novocaine that was used during your treatment.

Take a Nap

While taking a nap is the opposite of being active, falling asleep can help to get your mind off of the fact that certain areas of your mouth and face are numb. Sit back, relax, and allow the numbing sensation to pass until the sensation wears off peacefully.

Ask For Another Injection

Some dental practices use medicine that can reverse the effects of general anesthesia. While this will mean another injection, a second reversal injection can also help to make the numbness dissipate twice as fast as just waiting it out. A reversal injection typically costs $25-$75, and most insurance companies will not cover the injection, due to the fact that it is not medically necessary.

Have Patience

Since different types of dental procedures require different amounts of anesthesia, there is no one-size-fits-all answer for how long your mouth will stay numb after a procedure. Additionally, other factors come into play as to how long the numbing sensation will last, such as your height, weight, and how fast your body is able to metabolize the anesthesia. Where in your mouth you needed work done also comes into play as the bottom jaw is a large nerve block that controls sensations to more areas of your face.

Have patience in allowing the anesthesia to wear off before making a big presentation at work, having a date with a romantic interest, or eating a big meal. You should be feeling like yourself in no-time.

Make a Follow-up Dental Appointment

While a local anesthetic following a dental procedure can cause lip numbness for two or three hours, prolonged numbness could indicate a complication. If, after five hours, you’re experiencing persistent numbness following a dental implant, filling, wisdom tooth extraction, or another dental procedure, contact your dentist. A follow-up visit may be necessary as lingering numbness after an oral procedure could indicate nerve damage or an abscess.

Contact Tompkins Dental today if you’d like to hear additional tips for speeding up the return of normal sensation following a dental procedure, or if you have any concerns regarding prolonged numbness.

Author

Nikki

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How to Lose the Numbness After Local Anesthesia

When the dentist numbs your mouth it helps make dental procedures, like cavity fillings, be far less painful than without it. However, once you leave the dental office the numbness can become irritating. Here are some tips and tricks on how to help the numbness go away faster.

Why We Using Local Anesthesia

The American Dental Association explains that local anesthesia is a medication that is used to prevent pain in a specific area of your mouth during treatment. It works by blocking nerves that sense or transmit pain, numbing the mouth tissue.

Before your procedure, the dentist might use a topical anesthetic to begin the numbing process before injecting the specific part of your mouth with a local anesthetic. Topical anesthetics are not only for procedures, but they can also help relieve painful mouth sores. Injectable anesthetics are primarily used in dentistry for filling cavities, installing crowns, treating gum disease, and other minor procedures that can be quite painful.

Local Anesthesia vs. Sedation

Though both local anesthesia and sedation are used to prevent you from feeling pain during procedures, they’re two different things. Sedation, like local anesthesia, can help a patient feel more calm at the dentist and ease their fears. However, under sedation, you will become more drowsy and could even fall asleep. There are several different types of sedation in dentistry:

Minimal sedation – the patient is awake, but relaxed
Moderate sedation – the patient is conscious, but can be drowsy and not remember much of the procedure
Deep sedation – the patient is barely conscious but can still be woken up if needed
General anesthesia – the patient is unconscious

Many people refer to sedation dentistry as “sleep dentistry”, as it deals heavily with sedation, which is where the name comes from. This nickname is inaccurate however, as the patient does not actually sleep during their procedure. Depending on the patient, different medicines can be used to stay relaxed and calm during the procedure.

The purpose of sedation dentistry is to allow a patient to receive routine oral care without anxiety or pain. The body and mind can relax under the close supervision of the dental provider.

Is Local Anesthesia Safe?

Using local anesthesia is incredibly safe and a way to get dental work done without feeling pain. There can be temporary side effects. While rare, those side effects could be:

Blurred vision, dizziness, and vomiting
Headaches
Muscle twitching
Numbness, weakness, or tingling

Of all these, the most common is a lingering numb feeling that could last for a few hours after your procedure.

Reversing Dental Numbness

The numbness that comes along with local anesthesia often goes away on it’s own in a matter of hours, however, if you want to try and reverse the numbness faster, follow these tips:

Sleep it off

If you have the time to do so, a quick nap could be all it takes to help you reverse the numbness. When we sleep, we are able to take our minds off of the annoying numb feeling, and most times, are able to wake up feeling normal again.

Exercise

Engaging in light physical activity after a dental procedure can help stimulate blood flow which can help the anesthesia wear off. Be sure to talk with the dentist before leaving your appointment to find out when it will be safe for you to exercise.

Swish salt water

Stir about a teaspoon of salt into warm water, then gently rinse your mouth with it before spitting it out. This will also help the numbing feeling go away.

Massage gently

If the skin isn’t tender and it doesn’t hurt to do so, try gently massaging your face where it’s numb. Be sure to not massage the injection sight directly. Massaging the area can help stimulate blood flow into that area which helps the numbing feeling fade away.

Sometimes, you can have prolonged numbness after your dental procedure. Call your dentist to see what they recommend to further help relieve the numbing feeling.

Call Stonebrook Family Dental for Sedation Dentistry

Dentists are trained in sedation dentistry and go through continuing education courses to stay up-to-date with the best care for their patients. Most healthy adults qualify for sedation dentistry. No matter if you’re anxious for your dental visit, have a strong gag reflex, or have other concerns, sedation dentistry could be used. Are you interested in your sedation options? Give Stonebrook Family Dental a call today at (303)-872-7907 to learn more.

Pain and numbness of the fingers

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Many people complain of numbness in the fingers and pain that wakes them up at night and interferes with full-time work. However, not everyone goes to the doctor when the disease has not gone so far, and irreversible changes can be avoided. About what symptoms should cause concern, and in what cases surgical intervention is necessary, we talk with the orthopedist-traumatologist of the Medical Center for Diagnostics and Treatment Simonas SEREIKA.

– What diseases of the hand and wrist do patients most often address?

- These are mainly diseases caused by pinched nerves - tunnel syndromes of the carpal and ulnar tunnels, as well as diseases caused by inflammation of the tendons - the so-called "tapping" finger and tenosivitis of the radius. Often there are diseases of the joints, pain in the hand, violations of the subcutaneous structure.

The most common and well-known carpal tunnel syndrome is carpal tunnel syndrome. compression of the median nerve under the transverse ligament of the wrist, which occurs between three bony walls and a dense ligament that holds the tendons of the muscles that flex the fingers and hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome and diseases caused by inflammation of the tendons are more often diagnosed in women over 50 years of age or in young people burdened with heavy physical work. At night, they cannot sleep because of numbness and pain in the fingers. During the holidays, these symptoms often subside. Pain in the wrist sometimes appears after injuries, gradually increases and begins to interfere with daily life. The cubital tunnel syndrome affects both men and women over 30 years of age. Dupuytren's contracture (palmar fibromatosis) - painless cicatricial degeneration and shortening of the palmar tendons - is inherited, more often observed in smokers, physically working men over 60 years old.

– How do the symptoms of these diseases differ?

- With carpal tunnel syndrome fingers go numb at night, pain appears in 1-4 fingers, in the morning they are stiff. At the initial stage, numbness after waking up disappears, with the progression of the disease it remains, and objects begin to fall out of the hands, it becomes difficult for the patient to fasten buttons, although at night there may not be pain at all.

Elbow joint syndrome most often manifests itself only in numbness of the fingers, less often in pain at night. 4-5 fingers are damaged. With the progression of the disease, the muscles of the palm weaken, strength disappears.

The main cause of stenosing tenosynovitis (trigger finger) is pain in the hand. The palm begins to hurt when moving the fingers. The pain extends to the forearm. With the progression of the disease, it becomes more difficult to unbend the finger, it "gets stuck", a characteristic sound appears - a click, which gave the popular name to this disease. Sometimes the finger does not unbend at all, then it has to be returned to its place with the other hand. Trigger finger syndrome is caused by a nodule on the extensor tendon. Most often, patients have damaged fingers 1, 3, 4.

Dupuytren's contracture is manifested by the inability to straighten the fingers, nodular thickening of the skin on the palms. At first it can be painful, then changes occur in the fingers - it is not possible to straighten them.

Hygroma of the wrist (hernia) is a small, rounded protrusion under the skin. Occurs as a result of a sharp turn with a load or after a large physical exertion. Because of this formation, patients most often turn to a hand surgeon. A “bump” seems to grow on the brush, it scares people very much.

Diseases of the joints of the hand and wrist are very complex, so a thorough examination is necessary.

– What is the cause of this or that disease?

- The most common cause is excessive physical activity or injury, as a result of which the tendons become inflamed, enlarged, begin to injure other tissues, pinch nerves. After an injury, the joints begin to wear out faster. Hormonal changes also influence and, oddly enough, everyday habits, for example, during sleep, take a pose with strongly bent arms, while working, constantly rest your elbows on the table, and for drivers - on the edge of the car door. The causes of some diseases are not fully understood.

– What symptoms should lead a person to see a doctor?

- You should always consult a specialist if your fingers become numb a little or suddenly - this is a sign of a pinched nerve, also if a neoplasm has appeared and it begins to grow. When a person does not go to the doctor due to diseases manifested by numbness of the fingers, night pains, the nerve is damaged more and more - the fingers lose their sensitivity, the muscles of the hand begin to atrophy, the hands become weak, it becomes difficult to take small objects, the hands are afraid of the cold. In this case, even after the operation, the function of the hand may not be fully restored. If the finger "gets stuck" and the disease progresses, even after the operation, movements may remain limited.

It is very often difficult for patients to name clear symptoms, so conditions in which a nerve is pinched can go undiagnosed for a long time. By contacting in time, the patient can receive qualified assistance. In these cases, a diagnostic study is very informative - electroneuromyography, which helps to establish the degree and amount of damaged tissues.

– What is the treatment strategy for the listed diseases?

– At the initial stage, these diseases are treated conservatively. If this does not help, the doctor decides whether surgery is required. It is important that the patient arrives on time. Operations carried out in a timely manner are simple and very effective. When the disease goes far, the effectiveness of operations is not so high.

Conservative treatment of carpal tunnel and ulnar tunnel syndromes is reduced to a decrease in physical activity on the arm, the appointment of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, B vitamins that improve blood flow and nerve nutrition, vasodilator drugs, splinting. Diagnosis of these diseases and determine the tactics of treatment helps electroneuromyography.

Trigger finger treatment I usually start with hormonal blockade with Kenalog. On treatment tenosynovitis is prescribed splint, hormonal blockade. Neoplasm - in the case of hernias of the wrist, finger joints, tendons - is pierced. Changes in the joints of the wrist are treated with splinting, anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, injections into the joint.

– When is surgery necessary?

- Always with Dupuytren's contracture , otherwise if conservative treatment fails and symptoms persist or progress.

Operations are compensated by the Health Insurance Fund, so the patient can avoid waiting in line and go to any clinic capable of performing such an operation, for example, our Center. After all operations, the patient is discharged home on the same or next day. The main thing at the first symptoms is not to hesitate to prevent serious diseases.

For all questions, please contact your personal manager
Beate Putramenete at +370 687 99 342 (Russia, Viber, WhatsApp) or email e-mail: [email protected], as well as the general number of the department for receiving foreign patients: +370 5 247 63 69

Why do my legs go numb? | Diagnostic center "MDC"

Numbness of the legs is an extremely unpleasant sensation, which, unfortunately, is very common today. Numbness is accompanied by tingling, burning and constriction.

Legs can go numb for a variety of reasons:

• Compression of nerves or blood vessels in the leg . This can happen due to an uncomfortable posture, tight uncomfortable shoes, long-term muscle tension in the legs. As a rule, if you get rid of tight shoes or change your position, the sensitivity of the legs is restored. In some cases, this causes painful tingling in the area of loss of sensitivity. Most often, for this reason, the legs become numb during sleep. If the sensation recovers very slowly or does not recover at all, a doctor's consultation is necessary, as this may be a sign of serious illness.

• Diabetes mellitus . This disease, among other things, affects the small nerve endings and blood vessels of the legs. As a result, the legs often become numb. Unfortunately, this disease is not curable, but it is possible to practically stop the further development of the disease thanks to a well-chosen method of treatment (drugs and diet).

• Vascular atherosclerosis . With this disease, plaques of cholesterol are deposited inside the vessels, reducing the lumen of the vessels, disrupting blood flow, due to which the legs are not sufficiently supplied with blood, which can cause numbness. As a rule, elderly people suffer from atherosclerosis of the vessels. But young people can also suffer from it due to irregular and malnutrition, a sedentary lifestyle, metabolic disorders in the body due to nervous stress, poor ecology, etc. With this disease, for treatment, it is necessary to actively go in for sports, give up foods containing a lot of cholesterol, and smoking.

• Osteochondrosis . As a rule, this disease occurs due to a sedentary lifestyle. In this case, the disease of the tissues of the spine changes, because of which the nerves are compressed, which causes numbness in the legs.

• Edema . Edema may appear due to heart or kidney failure, in late pregnancy, etc. Treatment depends on the cause of the swelling.

• Rheumatoid arthritis . With this disease, the joints are deformed, because of which the nerves are compressed and the skin on the legs becomes numb. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis can be both serious infectious diseases and heredity.

• Herniated disc . With an intervertebral hernia, compression of the nerve roots occurs, which leads to a reflex spasm of the tissues. As a rule, this disease is treated with a surgical method. In addition to numbness, symptoms are also severe pain in the spine, which radiate to the limbs, and dizziness.

• Raynaud's disease . This is a rare disease in which progressive circulatory disorders are observed up to atrophy of the limbs due to a significant reduction in blood flow. Numbness at the same time appears suddenly, with an attack, and is accompanied by blue legs and pain.

• Avitaminosis , in particular - lack of vitamin B12, which is necessary for the implementation of metabolic processes in nerve fibers.

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