It's also important to discuss the potential side effects of dental anesthesia with your dental professional before undergoing any procedure. This allows you to feel prepared and confident in your treatment option, which is something to smile about.
Side effects of local anesthesia in dentistry tend to be rare. Sometimes numbness is felt beyond the affected part of the mouth. Eyelids and cheek muscles can also droop until the numbness subsides. Other less common concerns include:
- temporarily losing the ability to blink
- hematomas (blood outside a blood vessel)
- a racing heartbeat
- nerve damage (very rare)
Side effects of sedation can include headache, nausea, and drowsiness. These side effects usually do not last long. Other side effects of sedation are:
- A headache a few days after the procedure
- Pain at the site of the needle
- Difficulty urinating
- Hematoma
- Nerve damage (very rare)
Your dental professional should monitor general anesthesia side effects during and after treatment. Here are the side effects of general anesthesia:
- Nausea and vomiting
- A sore throat
- Muscle aches
- Itches
- Confusion when regaining consciousness
- Chills and shivering, hypothermia
Rarely, general anesthesia has the potential to cause more serious complications like postoperative delirium or cognitive dysfunction, where memory loss is more long-term.
Malignant hyperthermia is another rare complication from general anesthesia, which is a serious reaction to anesthesia that can occur during surgery. It's important to tell your dentist or surgeon if you or your family member have suffered from malignant hyperthermia or experienced a heat stroke during surgery in the past.