A dental injection is used to numb an area of your mouth before treatment begins.
The goal is to make the area feel comfortable so that you do not feel pain during your procedure.
Most people describe the injection as one of the most anticipated parts of dental treatment, but also one that is usually quicker and less uncomfortable than expected.
The local anaesthetic (LA) is the liquid that will create the loss of sensation in your mouth during dental treatment. There are two main LAs that we use - lignocaine (called novocaine in America) or Articaine. Articaine is stronger.
Discuss with your dental team your past experience with local anaesthetic and then you can make a joint decision about which to try. Remember, you are always in control and can ask the dental team to pause at any time.
For many people, dental anxiety is often associated with a fear of needles, which can lead to fainting or feeling faint during dental treatments. Applied tension is a simple technique that can help increase your blood pressure back to a normal level to avoid fainting during procedures involving injection techniques.
Try to practice this technique three times a day for a week. If you experience headaches after doing this exercise, be sure to avoid tensing the muscles in your face and head. Additionally, be mindful when tensing any part of your body that may have existing health issues.
This exercise is not recommended for those who are pregnant or have high blood pressure.
The local anaesthetic (LA) is contained in a glass tube known as a cartridge, which holds about half a teaspoon (2.5ml) of liquid. This local anaesthetic is commonly used in various dental treatments to help alleviate dental anxiety during procedures. The cartridge features a rubber stopper on one end (on the right in our photo), which is pushed down to release the liquid. On the other end (left in our picture), there is a metal ring and membrane that facilitate the injection techniques for administering the LA.
To maintain hygiene, the LA cartridge is delivered in a plastic wrapper. It bears a Batch number and a Use by Date, which you might hear the dental team mention as they document these details in the notes.
This picture illustrates the delivery system for dental local anaesthetic, which can help alleviate dental anxiety during various dental treatments. The system consists of two plastic tubes that slide over one another. On the left side of the image is the narrower tube, designed to hold the local anaesthetic cartridge, which is elongated to match the cartridge's length.
On the right side, you can see the outer plastic tube, with a blue cap underneath, serving to keep the needle clean before the injection techniques are employed.
Once the local anaesthetic cartridge is securely placed in the left tube, the outer tube can be retracted. A handle on the left side is then used to expel the liquid from the cartridge, and the blue cap is removed to reveal the needle.
Here you can see the entire dental injection equipment assembled and ready to administer a pain-easing injection for dental treatments, which can help alleviate dental anxiety. This equipment looks long, measuring 28 cm (11 inches). The cartridge, about 9cm long, is situated in the middle; the handle must be at least as long as the cartridge to effectively push the liquid out. In fact, the handle is slightly longer to provide a proper grip for various injection techniques.
Here you can see the thin needle used for the local anaesthetic injection, specifically designed to help ease dental anxiety during various dental treatments. This needle is approximately 3 cm long, and during the procedure, only a small portion of it is typically visible. It is crafted to administer the anaesthetic gently and accurately using effective injection techniques to the area being treated.