How can I make the Novacaine wear off faster?

Nothing. Oh, I suppose you could try aerobic exercise to increase the blood flow to the area, or maybe warm compresses for the same purpose, but I’m not sure that it will have any appreciable effect.

Why not have something that doesn’t require chewing? Soup, a milkshake?

@Rob; Just live with it. Try drinking a milkshake with a straw; and don’t talk to anyone. You will drool.

Do not accidently bite your tongue or mouth! Trust me it will hurt like hell when the novacaine wears off!

I would try what @syz says with exercise. Can’t hurt to try.

@gailcalled We drink your…MILKSHAKE ;)

My dentist told me they advice not to eat because that might do damage to the brand-new filling(s).

Go to sleep. When you wake up it will be all over.

Or you will choke to death on your tongue.

Same difference.

Chew gum. carefully.

There is nothing you can do to make the novocaine wear off faster. It’s metabolism is dictated by several factors, but mainly is dependent on the action of a metabolic enzyme whose activity is genetically determined.

Now THAT is a mouth full of gum.

I’m sure there’s an expensive (risky) counteragent. Not worth trying. Be patient.

Why not trust our doctor? He is accurate and sees his patients here on time.

I wish I had your problem, mine wears off within ten minutes…the dentists go crazy over how many needles I need. I don’t even have the lasting after effects, but I used to.

Rinse w/ warm salt water. I know it shouldn’t make any sense, and I have no reason to doubt that what @shilolo wrote is totally accurate.. but the last time i was at the dentist, one of the assistants recommended it, and i swear that it helped.

odd as it was.. it seemed to help. i did it once every 15 minutes or so, but i don’t have any proof that that timing was the best..

good luck!

@Evan: Novocaine works by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in your pain receptors. Maybe rinsing with salt water floods the extracellular fluid with so much sodium that it passively diffuses into the cell along its concentration gradient, bypassing the voltage-gated channels?

@robmandu, wanna give it a shot and report back?

My understanding of the salt-water rinses are that they are more for flushing the irritated-inflammed area and keeping it “clean”, rather than diminishing the effectiveness of the novocaine.

…because I might chew my face off…

LOL I’d love to see someone trying to do that!

When my son has novocaine, it takes several hours to wear off. Last time, he bit the inside of his cheek and was sore from that for a couple of days. I’d say, better safe than sorry. Wait it out, you won’t starve to death. Having to get stitches in your cheek or tongue would be much worse than being hungry for a couple of hours.

But if the salt water works, let us know, so I maybe prevent my son from chewing his face off next time too.

@Evan I would think rinsing (and carefully chewing) would work too, because just the act of working your mouth around increases the circulation and cycles the Novocaine out faster. That’s my theory, anyway.

I never had a problem eating while I had novacaine. Just chew on the other side, or blend your meal up into a delicious smoothie ;) ew

I have a numb mouth, too! I had a filling replaced this morning. Starving, though, so I got some refried beans from Taco Bell (no real chewing involved) and I swear the numbness went down by 80% during the short time it took me to eat.

I just went to the dentist yesterday. They told me to rub my mouth and it’ll liven up quicker. In the meantime I drank a protein smoothie (but that didn’t last long and as soon as I felt any feeling I ate!).

@syz: I’m not sure robmandu could exercise any more.

Increase blood-flow to the area and help flush out the drug.

@rottenit Which is what chewing, sucking or swishing would do….

^^But that will exacerbate the drooling brought on by the novocaine. It’s a dilemma.

@gailcalled LOL! I can see trying to swish and it just goes everywhere! I would hope you weren’t on a first date with someone!!

@Val123 So would applying heat, or massage….

@rottenit Or kissing passionately ! If your partner didn’t mind the drooling….

I just got 2 extractions did Friday, and it’s been almost a WEEK! and i’m still in pain,
I think its because I took my gauges out too early, and it might be infected…
should I go to a hospital or a clinic?