"Gimme more Novacaine!" "Sorry, we don't have any."
That would be a strange response, but the truth is we (dentists) don't use Novacaine (Procaine) anymore. We've come a long way in dental anesthesia. Novacaine has been replaced by safer and more effective anesthetics. One of the most commonly used today is Lidocaine, which has a more rapid onset, and in is more profound at a lesser dosage. With the newer anesthetics, there are very few side effects - if any. The loss of sensation (numbness) is localized to the area, and lasts for the duration of the treatment. Generally, by the time your appointment is over everything starts waking up.
