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Dental Anesthesia

Reaction to Deep Scaling

08/24/2009

Question:

I had a deep scaling in my upper right quadrant. I had 3 injections to numb the area. After the scaling I had pain in the gums for two days then my entire upper half of my face up to the eye swelled up. I went back to the dentist about 4 days later, and he said I need a root canal and he wanted to schedule me for one. I have had 10 root canals and this didn`t feel like that. He said he didn`t see anything on the xrays but wanted the root canal to be sure. I said no. He put me on antibiotics and the swelling and the pressure went away after about 5 days. I am allergic to sulfa drugs. Do you think I had a reaction to the novocaine? It has been a week and the pain and swelling have gone away. No root canal symptoms have appeared. The only discomfort I have is 3 spots where the injections were.

Answer:

This would not be a local anesthesia-related problem two days later.

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Response by:

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