For those of us who hate going to the dentist, the hour or two after an appointment can be even worse—slobbering, slurring words and even biting your cheeks or tongue, thanks to the local anaesthetic that dentists often use. But that could be a thing of the past. Researchers in San Diego, CA say they’ve invented a drug that can undo the effects of freezing, The New York Times reports.
For those of us who hate going to the dentist, the hour or two after an appointment can be even worse—slobbering, slurring words and even biting your cheeks or tongue, thanks to the local anaesthetic that dentists often use. But that could be a thing of the past. Researchers in San Diego, CA say they’ve invented a drug that can undo the effects of freezing, The New York Times reports.
Recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the drug (called OraVerse) apparently reduced the time it took for feeling to return to lips and mouth by 75 to 85 minutes, or about half. It works by dilating the blood vessels, so that blood can carry the anaesthetic away, and will be sold to dentists in the US for $12.50 per injection later this year (no word on if and when it’ll be available in Canada).