Dental work with Novacaine.

Question

Had dental work done and Novacaine took hours to wear off. To prepare for the next time, what do other eat? I can't open my mouth or chew.

Answer 1

You can't open or chew well because your jaw joint is inflammed or your muscles are stiff.  The best thing to do before an appointment is take Ibuprofen or Advil 400mgs 4 times a day for a few days before the appointment.  This will load you up with some painkiller and most importantly anti-inflammatory.

Also if your muscles are really bad, you might want to take a muscle relaxant, again either before or certainly afterward depending on how bad things are.  You could also consider seeing a chiropractor or massage therapist to help your muscles out.

Answer 2

It usually does take anesthetic a  few hours to wear off. What I usually do is make soup and try to suck it through a straw. This is hard, because you can't fully close your lips on the straw, but it you're really hungry, you can make it work. Do NOT do this, however, if you're numb from having a tooth extracted. You shouldn't suck through straws in that case. But if you were just having a cavity filled, or a crown placed, try drinking soup.

And contrary to popular belief, dentists actually use lidocaine or articaine, not novocaine.